My Present Help in Time of Trouble

"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." - Psalm 34:8


"The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to Him and are safe." - Proverbs 18:10


"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31


"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." - Deuteronomy 31:6 

     Do you sometimes feel down or discouraged? Are you sometimes unhappy and not contended with yourself? Do you sometimes feel unsatisfied with everything you are blessed to have? Do you sometimes feel like you're trapped in your problems and that you don't have a way out? Sometimes I feel those things. Sometimes I feel weary and hopeless. Often times I feel like these sadness have no end. It's like they're permanent and there are no ways to stop them. The problems I've had and all those things that worries me makes me feel depressed. And as a teenager, I can really say that I am in the stage of my life wherein everything is confusing and that both pressure and anxieties are prominent. I feel like no one cares.

     Let me share to you some of my problems which I am comfortable sharing. I was bullied and teased a lot at school for the way I act (Fortunately now, I have already graduated high school and I'll be attending college this November. I hope all the best for college though.) People in school think that I'm gay but I'm not. I guess I'm just comfortable acting with not the kind of way they expected me to act. I don't really act that manly though. But I'm straight. But the thing is, people shouldn't judge other people on how they act. They must learn to know the person first before they evaluate judgement. I guess I'm just different from them. I have less friends and only a few of them whom I can really trust and express my problems to. There was a time at school when I began to feel unworthy. I didn't care for my studies at all and that lead to the downfall of my grades. I received very low grades at that time for not performing my duties well as a student. I didn't tell my parents about it because I don't want them to be concerned over me. And that they already have so many things to worry about. Then my problem got doubled and the feeling of being worried increased. Soon, I felt like I wanted to escape. I just wanted to be free from all these problems causing me to worry, to be depressed, to feel unloved, and to feel unworthy. During that time, I felt like no one cares.

     But it turned out that I was wrong. There is someone who actually cares. Someone who knows every inch of me and loves me way more than I can imagine. That someone, is God. Yes, He cares for us. Yes, He loves us. He loves us to the point of sending His only begotten Son, my personal Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. Can you imagine how great, incomparable, and steadfast His love is? That was the moment when I feel blessed. That's how I came to know more of my Creator and Savior. When I've had those problems, I sought for His refuge, strength, and guidance. Then I perceived the realization that I am so blessed. I am blessed to have my family. I am blessed to be alive. I am blessed in so many different ways. Most importantly, I am so blessed to be loved by God. And for the first time in my life, I feel satisfied and complete. Satisfied and complete of His grace and loving-kindness. From then on, I overcame my problems, and learned to value my life. Not that I value my life for myself, but I value my life for God. He is the reason why I live. Those verses which I placed at the top of these articles are some of my motivations to  help me face the trials and struggles I will soon encounter. I also learned that our personal trials and struggles are God's way to mold us to become better persons. It is not to destroy us but to help us become more courageous and to help us put our faith, trust, and hope in Him. I can easily relate to the famous chapter in Psalms. It is Psalms 23. You can read it of you have your Bible with you or you can search it in the internet. It is the chapter which tells of how to deal with the struggles we face and to believe that God is always there for us as our refuge, our provider, and our strength. It tells that regardless of our hindrances and discouragements, we must be satisfied with God being there for us. Even though we walk through the darkest valley of our lives, we must not fear anything for He is always there to comfort us and strengthen us. The Bible even tells us that God will never leave us nor forsake us. How awesome could He be? God is just great and I daresay that He is my present help in time of trouble.

     My advice to all of you, especially to the youths who have the same problems as I have and who can totally relate to these kinds of trials: Learn to put your faith in God. He is always there to comfort you. He is always there to guide you. His intentions are always for the good of us all. And His plans are always filled with hope and goodness. We may sometimes feel weary, but these problems won't last. What's most important is your faith in God. Our problems are just temporal but God is eternal. If your problems are so big and too many that you can't handle it any longer, always find the courage to talk to God and ask for His help. He will always be there to save us in our time of great need and He is forever present to help us in our time of trouble.

- Angelo Lorenzo