Troubles are inevitable on man’s earthly pilgrimage. God directs man to call on Him so that He may deliver him when temptations and evil deceptions come. It is pleasing to God when one turns to Him in troubled times, acknowledging dependence and relying on Him for deliverance. God’s provision comes at a time and in a manner that brings glory to Himself and abundant good for the individual. Fiery trials and tribulations purify man. Fire refines silver and tests gold. Silver refined, gold tested, and man cleansed. The red-hot coals of the Refiner’s fire are forging a greater dependence on God, a deeper faith in Him, a more certain confidence in “I AM”. After the trial, one realizes a deeper trust in his Savior, a fresh note in his song of praise, and a greater joy in giving glory to his Lord.

God has designed a symbiotic relationship, a long-term interaction between Himself and us. Both parties benefit from this relationship. God provides life and peace for us, and we glorify Him, proclaiming the triumphs of His redeeming grace. God relies on us to fulfill His plan and purpose. We need Him to escape certain death and destruction, to deliver us from our troubles. When we call on God in the fire, He will answer us and we will say, “The Lord is my God” and God will reply, “You are My people” (Zech. 13:9). When He has delivered us, we will glorify Him. Symbiotic relationships in nature help us understand our dependence on Him. Consider the bees. They drink in sweet nectar from the innermost sanctions of the flower. While doing so, their legs and body become pollinated, therefore equipped to fertilize the next generation of plants. So it is with us when we spend time with the Lord in our inner sanctuary, “pollinating” ourselves in prayer and the Word to will and to do the Will of God. We become a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph. 5:1-2), our lives proclaiming the Gospel message to all generations. Probiotics offer another perspective of the symbiotic relationship. Symbiotics are at work within our physical bodies. Probiotics for digestion, prebiotics to feed the probiotics; together they form a powerful defense against illness. When we call on the Name of Jesus, He charms—powerfully subdues—the fears within our soul.

Have you called on God in times past? Did He deliver you from your troubles? Did you glorify Him? When you call on God in your day of trouble, you are depending on Him. “Jesus! the name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease, ’tis music in the sinner’s ears, ’tis life and health and peace.”