Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble—and God’s remedy for a solution

By Dean Collins

Ray LaMontagne wrote that trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble had been doggin’ his soul since the day he was born. And the result of all that trouble produced worry, worry, worry, worry. But then he was saved by a woman. About thirty years earlier a songwriter named Jerry Chesnut wrote a song that Elvis recorded, “T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” and it was about a “good-looking “ woman. According to the music world it seems that women can both cause trouble and save you from trouble! Solomon had the same conflict about women, I suppose.

I don’t know how many times the phrase “the day of trouble “ appears in Scripture, but I found it in Proverbs and Psalms a few times along with other references in Jeremiah, Nahum, Obadiah, Habakkuk, and Job. The prophets were always warning God’s people of impending judgment and called them to repentance. King David certainly knew the days of trouble that came with war and the various battles he fought. Maybe it was a particular battle or a general prayer of his subjects that he recalled as he put to music his prayer about trouble recorded in Psalm 20.

Anointed Savior

Of course many psalms have a current situation in mind and also prophetically look ahead to a coming Messiah. Psalm 20 anticipates our anointed Savior who would battle on our behalf. Jesus would battle in prayer on the ground of Gethsemane as he fought for strength and will to take on death itself for us. And after enduring the agony of our sins on the cross, he died and was buried. But death could not hold him. God raised him up from the grave.

The psalmist says that from God’s right hand will come the answer to all our needs. We no longer will need to depend on men to solve our bigger challenges. Some might turn to leaders and to the wisdom of men for help, but David calls us to trust in the one name above all names for our help. He will always answer when we call. He will give us strength to stand. He will see us through the day of trouble.

Glory and grace

Searching Google I found at least 17 songs titled trouble and many many more that reference trouble. But I think the ancient song writer of Psalms has a much more dependable solution for how to get through trouble. In 1922 Helen Lemmel wrote a song that some may know. She wrote “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” to be used at Billy Sunday’s evangelistic meetings. These words remind us where to look and who can help in the day of trouble. Read them here, and then follow this link to listen to a contemporary rendition.

 O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭20:1-9‬; ‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:10-18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Photo by Nikhil Mitra on Unsplash