Psalm 34:19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.

Does it sometimes seem like troubles just keep coming your way, one after another? Maybe, as you’re parenting your children, you are dealing with medical concerns, behavioral challenges, school challenges, mental health needs, physical needs, and more. You work hard to get every need met, and just when you think things are getting under control, life happens—more setbacks and challenges to deal with.

I know that feeling. In fact, for a while in college, after several particular runs of what some might call “bad luck”—definitely challenges that came one after another—one of my friends nicknamed me “Calamity Jane.” It’s not a nickname I want to keep, but I have to admit that I often still seem to have lots of different challenges “piling on” at the same time, especially since I became a parent. And sometimes it gets frustrating.

We Christians can start to question God when troubles keep piling on, one after another. He says that we are his precious children. Because Jesus died for us, our sins are covered by his robe of righteousness. When God looks at us, he doesn’t see our sins, and he doesn’t lash out at us because of them. So why do we—people who have been made righteous by Jesus—have so many troubles?

The Bible doesn’t tell us why we have so many troubles, other than the overarching reasons for all troubles: we live in a broken, sinful world. Today’s passage points out that even though we are considered righteous before God, we still may have many troubles. But the Lord (in small caps, which refers to our Savior-God, Jesus) delivers us from them all. Jesus told us the same thing in a very similar passage: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV)

I’ve often said that I don’t know how people who don’t believe in Jesus handle the troubles of this world. I can’t imagine what it would be like not to have the comforts we have from God’s Word. Jesus is aware of our troubles. He has overcome them. He will deliver us from them. We can take our troubles to him in prayer and then leave them with him, trusting that he will deliver us—either here on this earth, by making all things work for our good (Romans 8:28), or when he takes us to our true home in heaven.

Dear Parent, I know that the amount of troubles you are dealing with can seem overwhelming at times—probably often! Remember God’s promises in Psalm 34:19 and John 16:33. Post these passages on your refrigerator or on your bathroom mirror. As you read them, take heart or, as the Evangelical Heritage Version of the Bible translates words in the John 16 passage, be courageous. Jesus is with you through it all, and

there is nothing he can’t handle.

Dear Jesus, thank you for your promises to deliver me from troubles. When life’s troubles seem to pile on relentlessly, remind me of those promises. Send your Holy Spirit to increase my faith so that I can take heart and be courageous. Amen.

by Jane Mose