In the Midst of Trouble

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   I've been growing in my faith so much recently, as some struggles have allowed my heart to be full of thanksgiving to God for the wonders of His love and the help and protection He has been providing in every situation. Oh, I am so grateful for His constant presence! 

   A few days ago, He pointed out Psalm 9:9-10 in His Word, and those verses have been sticking with me since stumbling upon it. He has used those words to strengthen me, and my meditation on those verses have reminded me of His promises:

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your Name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You. Psalm 9:9-10

    Thanks to God that He is my refuge, that when I am in the midst of trouble, He is my stronghold, my constant, my strength! I can trust that He is good and that He will never forsake me. 

   On Thursday, I studied hard for my permit test. I should have taken it awhile back, but never got around to preparing for the test. Since I'm graduating next year and will need to know how to drive to get to college, I knew I was running out of time. So I started studying on Wednesday and did a full study day on Thursday, minus some errands in the afternoon! By about midnight, I felt prepared and ready to take the permit test. Call me crazy for taking a permit test at 12:15 am, but after studying so hard up until that point and being the night owl that I am, I figured it would be best to take it then, while the content was fresh in my mind and while I was fully awake. So I did.

    The test was harder than I thought it would be. By about halfway through the test, I was starting to feel more and more confident that I didn't pass. But somehow, through prayer and the faithfulness and strength of our powerful God, I did so much better than I expected. Not only did I pass the permit test on the first try, but on question 43, it stopped me because I had already reached the passing point! Somehow I only missed 3 or 4 questions on the whole test, but I'm not saying this in pride or boastfulness. I'm saying this to prove the goodness of God, to prove that He really is moving, and that I could not have done that on my own. 

    I kept focusing on verses 9-10 of Psalm 9 during that test. I kept placing my trust in God, assuring myself that He will not forsake me and that He will lead me to victory, despite how things were going. Sure enough, He brought results. 

    On Friday morning, I received my permit, and after doing so, my mom, little sister, and I were on our way to the mall when we were unexpectedly involved in a car accident. A car was moving over into our lane, didn't see us, and hit our car from the side, but because my mom saw him, she moved out of the way as much as she could. So while there was a little bit of damage, it wasn't nearly as bad as it could've been. Not only that, but our airbags never went off, and we are all in great shape, without any injuries or problems! I'm so thanking God for His protection and help. I know that He meant it when He said that He will not forsake me when I seek Him, and I know that, because of His promise, we were protected yesterday by His presence and army of angels. 

    He is our stronghold in times of trouble. He will not forsake us when we seek Him and trust in Him! His goodness will never fail. In the middle of a test, He was there. In the midst of a car accident, He was there. Whatever situation you are in, He is with you too!