Through many dangers, toils and snares
We have already come
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. (Nahum 1:7)
The Lord cares for, is aware of, and understands His people. When the pressures of life overwhelm, when the enemy mounts an attack, the Lord is a fortress and tower of defense for the believer. There is a day of trouble for all—sinner and saint alike. God sees the sinner, the vile, the wicked, and the ungodly. Annihilation and destruction, terror and trouble lay ahead for him. But He walks with those who depend on and wait for Him, protecting and rescuing them. He is the Anchor of their soul. As the mountains round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people. He is a strong tower of defense and a shelter from the impending attacks of the enemy.
When we are in great affliction, we often hear the Lord’s voice more clearly because we draw nearer to Him where we find consolation in His grace and mercy. Just as the eye of the hurricane affords perfect calm and peace though the winds rage all around, so does the Lord give us that peace when we press into Him. When outward pressures fill us with anguish and fears, we can rejoice in hope, placing our trust in Jesus, knowing that He is the One who calms the sea. When we look to Jesus in the raging hurricanes of our life, we find ourselves in the eye of the storm, that small zone of calm, safe from the walls of winds that swirl around our quiet respite. God wants what’s best for us, to do us good and not harm, to turn everything to our benefit because He cares for us. Like a good doctor, sometimes He prescribes medicine, rest, or constraint in our day of trouble, knowing that afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness and greater faith in Him.
Have you found that amid the storms you are better able to hear God’s voice? Have you found the greatest peace in your toughest battles? When you believe and trust in Jesus, seeking His protection, you are doing the work of God (Jn. 6:29). You do not have to be perfect. There is nothing you have to be. You have only to trust Him. Consider one snare that may confront you today. Right now, won’t you commit to doing the work of trusting Jesus? When your day of trouble is over, you will better know Him because you sought refuge in Him. Let this be your testimony: “Through many toils, dangers, and snares I have already come.”