That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t make it easy for himself by avoiding people’s troubles, but waded right in and helped out. “I took on the troubles of the troubled,” is the way Scripture puts it. Romans 15: 3 The Message Regardless of who we are, where we live, and what is going on with us individually, life is never trouble-free. There is always some relationship, some concern, some unexpected surprise we must confront. Not long ago, we had to deal with an unexpected flat tire. Besides the hassle of being stranded, the tire could not be repaired. We ended up buying a new tire. Such is the nature of trouble! The good news is that God is present with us, in the midst of our troubles. Even when life comes at us with a vengeance, and we face troubles on every side, the Lord is right there with us. The imagery here is that of a flood, with the water rising. Paul pictures God as one who wades right in, through the flood, in order to reach us. Instead of letting us drown in our troubles, the Lord comes to rescue us! In Jesus’ day, many believed that troubles were a sign of God’s punishment for sin. Thus, they believed that the more troubled you were, the greater your sin must be. That is why many religious leaders avoided “the troubled” like the plague. Not so Jesus! He abhorred sin, but he loved sinners! This can be a great comfort to us as we go through life. No matter how big our troubles are, God’s love is bigger! There is no storm we face that our Lord will not brave, in order to reach us and to save us! The Lord is one who takes on all of our troubles, and all of the troubles in the world. Praise Him! Prayer God of our salvation, Sometimes, it seems like everything in my life is going wrong. I face troubles in many different areas of my life. When life overwhelms me with difficulties, remind me to turn to you. Remind me of Your promise: that you do not run away from my trouble, but towards it. Be with me, and rescue me from the day of troubles. I pray this prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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