After several years of cajoling, Sara and the girls got me to start watching the BBC’s remake of James Herriot’s “All Creatures Great and Small”. The story follows three veterinarians who work in rural England in the 1930s. It is very good. If you are interested, you can find it on Sunday nights on PBS.
Last week, Helen, the new wife of one of the vets was worrying about the coming war and about her husband, who seemed to be overworking himself. On top of that, she felt lost as she had left the family farm and had nothing to do in town. In short, she felt that her life was unravelling and that she had no control over it, or any way to put things back together again.
When the oldest veterinarian, Siegfried, saw her crying, he took her into the dining room and listened to her. When she was done, he said, “Helen, look at me. Everyone under this roof is in my care. Do you understand me?” She smiled, thanked him, and went on her way.
As I watched that scene, it struck me that none of Helen’s problems had changed, but she felt better because she heard the words that we all need to hear: You are not alone!
That is my greatest problem. I think and act as though I have no help and that I must handle all of my stress and trouble by myself. That is not true, though.
Psalm 46 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (verse 1). A refuge is a safe place, like a fortress. We have God’s strength within us through his Spirit. That his help is “ever-present” means that he is always watching, guiding and ready to help. There is never a moment when that is not true. To be sure, as the end of the verse says, trouble will come, but we are not alone. God knows, loves and cares about us.
The end of the Psalm says, “Be still and know that I am God” (verse 10). “Be still” does not mean “do nothing”. Rather, it means, “Calm down! Everything is being looked after”.
That is a message worth remembering and sharing.
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