I’ve been meditating in recent days on Psalm 138. All eight verses of this brief chapter have been a huge blessing during my devotional times. Verses 7 and 8 say:

Isn’t this a wonderful Psalm? It speaks of God’s protective hand, his divine sovereign plans over every detail of our lives. Even when we are fearful or overwhelmed, the Lord is with us, and he has a specific purpose for what he’s achieving through us today. Notice how verse 7 begins, “Though I walk in the midst of trouble.” David is not saying he went looking for trouble. It’s more like trouble was looking for him. We know this because of David’s godly attitude and character in verses 5 and 6, where he says:

Where would we be without God’s hand over our lives? With God’s hand covering us, we have nothing to worry about. When my children were young, and we’d be walking through a crowded ballpark or airport, I would put my hand on their shoulders as they were in front of me, and I would gently direct them through the crowd. In the same way, God’s hand is there to guide us.

I remember once, as a young boy in elementary school, a man named “Okefenokee Joe” brought snakes to our science class! He would hold the snakes and let us come up and touch them. And sometimes, jokingly, Joe would say, ‘Now, do you want me to let this snake go?’ Absolutely not! Just like “Okefenokee Joe” in science class, God’s hand also protects us from the evil one.

This is a fact: you can have big faith and big obedience and still feel close to big trouble sometimes. So, when life feels hard or overwhelming, often through no fault of our own, let’s lean into the guiding and protecting hands of our Heavenly Father. “When I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”