I have watched with amazement as professional truckers have navigated tight places with great skill. They will squeeze through with only inches to spare on either side. Wow! Those guys are good!
One of the things God specializes in with regard to helping us through life is getting us through tight places. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
The word “trouble” here is an interesting Hebrew word that comes from a root word that means “to cramp or bind up.” It’s the word for a tight, narrow place and is used figuratively as a word for “trouble.” The interesting thing here, though, is that the feminine form of this noun is used in Psalm 46:l. It’s the idea of being in the tight clutches of a female adversary.
Now maybe the Psalmist had the prophet Elijah in mind when he used this word. You remember the story: There was a great victory on Mount Carmel where God sent fire out of heaven to consume Elijah’s sacrifice. The prophets of Baal were shown to be false prophets, and Elijah ended up killing all of them. Well, Queen Jezebel became very angry at Elijah because she was a worshiper of Baal, and those guys were her prophets. So she put out a hit on Elijah, and he had to run for his life. He was in a tight spot, caused by a female adversary. Well, the rest of the story is how God protected Elijah and even had the angels feed him. God was his “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Now you don’t have to have an evil woman after you to be in trouble. But you get the point, right? That’s real trouble! So – the point of Psalm 46:1 is… Relax! And get your thoughts on God. Thank Him that He’s your refuge and strength – a very present help in trouble.
Hey! Remember what happened to Jezebel – she fell from a high place, and when the dogs finished eating her remains, all that was left was her skull, her hands, and her feet. So much for Jezebel…