Psalm 9:9-10
As we are within a few hours of the start of the New Year 2025, I consider that, in light of our experience in 2024, our greatest need in 2025 would be peace and protection. 2024 has been a year in which the level of oppression of the masses of our people by the powers-that-be attained unimaginable heights. To be oppressed is to be exploited or systematically harmed by others. People who are oppressed are treated cruelly or prevented from having the same opportunities, freedom, and benefits as others. Being oppressed is a negative and unfair condition that robs them of peace and protection.
Therefore, the question that we need to find an answer to is this: How Can We Find Peace and Protection in Times of Trouble? It is obvious that peace and protection cannot be found in the usual persons, things, or places that people look to for them. However, the Psalmist, in Psalm 9:9-10, says that peace and protection can be found in the LORD. Specifically, he said, “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.”
He uses two metaphors to describe the Lord. The first is Refuge (the state of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or difficulty; a place or situation providing safety or shelter), and the second is Stronghold (a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack; a high, safe place that provides refuge and protection for a soldier). David spoke from his personal experience when he referred to the Lord as a refuge and a stronghold. As David’s stronghold, God protected him when Saul was seeking to destroy him (2 Samuel 22:2-3; 23:14).
Believers today have the Lord Jesus Christ as our refuge and shield. The apostle Paul referred to our lives as “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). How, then, can we find peace and protection in times of trouble?
When we are in the midst of difficult times, we need to pray that God will help us to keep our eyes focused on Him and not on the circumstances surrounding us. David said, “The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). The Lord also told Isaiah: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
We must remember that no matter what is happening around us, God promises to be our perfect peace. He assures us that He is constantly with us, strengthening and supporting us. If you are fearful, ask Him to help you grow in your faith, believing He is faithful to help you through all your needs and anxieties. When fear begins to overtake you, read His promises and thank the Lord for His unfathomable love.
The enemy will lure us towards panic and worry if we focus on all that is occurring in this world. But God offers us an indescribable peace that can never be found in this life without Him. We need to ask for His help in choosing not to worry but instead to pray, allowing His Spirit to guard our heart and mind in Him.
The Bible tells us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). He also tells us that He will “keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in Him. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord Himself, is the Rock eternal” (Isaiah 26:3-4).
We need to keep in mind that the Lord we worship is the Creator of the universe. He is the one who divided the sea when the Israelites were in panic and did not know what to do or where to go. He is the one who gave sight to the blind and healed the sick. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He is the One who hears the faithful prayers of those who love and obey Him.
Ask Him to help you not to worry about the things that are out of your control, but to be faithful and wise; and to pray for those leaders who are trying to be godly influences in our land. Thank Him that our times are in His hands (Psalm 31:15). Pray for His blessing and mercy over our nation, remembering that: “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
No matter what we face in this life, we are never in the battle alone. God goes before us, He’s with us every step, and He leads the way ahead. Pray that you would stay alert in a dark world, that God will help you to stand strong in Him, and that you would daily sense His presence protecting you in all that you’re up against (Deuteronomy 3:22).
Problems, worry, and stress have an incredible way of stealing our joy. We need to pray that God will renew our mind in Him, that His joy would fill our heart and be our strength today and always. We need to thank Him that true joy and peace are never dependent on our external circumstances but are found in Him alone. We need to think as the psalmist did when he wrote: “When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy” (Psalm 94:19).
We need to understand that even the best of us get tired. None of us are immune to being weary; but God is forever strong and fills us afresh with His strength and power to stay focused on Him. Pray and ask Him to help you press on, making the most of every opportunity. Believe that He is able to do more than you could ever imagine because: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:30–31).
No matter what you are facing now, and what you may face in 2024, God is in control. He is steadfast, immovable, and strong, and He never changes. He is aware of all things and can change everything to bring glory to Himself. So, put aside everything that worries you and allow Him to sustain you, because, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear…” (Psalm 46:1–2).
Psalm 91 talks about the safety of those who take refuge in God. Pray using the verses of this Psalm. Ask God for His protection and covering over your family and home. Pray that His Spirit will help you to rest in Him, knowing that in Him, we dwell in safety. Thank God that He is your rock, your shield, and your deliverer because “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
This is a great moment in human history that the Lord has provided for us to take time to draw nearer to Him. This following verse is very fitting for us to reflect on because what happened a long time ago could be related to what is happening now:
“Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until His wrath has passed by. See, the Lord is coming out of His dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer” (Isaiah 26:20-21).
Rev. Kayode Ilupeju,
Good News Baptist Church,
47/49, Olufemi Road,
Off Ogunlana Drive,
Surulere, Lagos.
Tel.: 0803-302-1008
