angela hormberg

Tag: Times of Trouble

  • Psalm 6

    Psalm 6

    Commonplace –

    “The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer” (Psalm 6:9).

    Herein Psalm 6, verses 1-6 are David in misery. He begins by begging God for mercy. He God not to rebuke or chasten him, while God is angry and hot with displeasure. David expresses despair because he is physically and emotionally weak. He asks God how long his suffering will continue? He rationalizes with God that, if he, David, dies from his pain, who will live to praise God. David then returns to recounting his sorrow; he tells of all the tears he has cried. Finally, in verses 8-9, hope grows in David’s words; God has heard his prayer and will receive it.

    Did David receive an answer at just that moment? We are not told. It is only said, “Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hat heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer” (v. 9.). We do know that David received comfort in his prayers, which gave him hope.

    In his summary, Matthew Henry states,

    “David was a weeping prophet as well as Jeremiah, and this psalm is one of his lamentations: either it was penned in a time, or at least calculated for a time, of great trouble, both outward and inward” (210).

    As psalm such as this is an encouragement to us in our own times of trouble.

    “Is any afflicted? Is any sick? Let him sing this psalm” (Henry 210).

    And, finally, Henry notes,

    “This psalm is like the Book of Job” (210).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 6.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 3

    Psalm 3

    Commonplace –

    “Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah” (Psalm 3:8).

    This is a very desperate psalm; David is being hunted by his son, Absalom. Yet in his despair, David is not fearful, even though his circumstances would seem to dictate it. If he is not fearful, how does David maintain his peace?

    Herein David gives us a pattern to use in times of trouble:

    I. He relates his situation to God.

    Is this necessary? Is not God omniscient and omnipresent? Yes, He is. So the recounting of the situation is the opportunity of the troubled to speak out his fear: in writing or verbally. It draws that fear from the mind into reality and solidly identifies the problem. Using David’s situation as the example, we note, he says “many are they that rise up against me”(Psalm 3:1b) and “many there be which say of my soul, “There is no help for him in God” (Psalm 3:2). So, he expresses two fears: the physical threat of bodily harm and the spiritual threat of God not helping him.

    II. Recognize that God is Protector.

    After expressing his fears, David claims the promise of God, “But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head” (Psalm 3:3). In one verse, David overcomes the two fears he expressed. The singular expression of ‘God is my shield’ counteracts his two fears: 1) he uses the present tense “to be verb” and addresses God – “But thou, O Lord, art”, which acknowledges God has not deserted him; David still has access to God, even in this present moment and 2) he acknowledges God’s role as protector – “thou art a shield for me”.

    III. He recalls God’s previous help

    This is very important; we have available to us our own history, looking back to see how God has helped us in the past serves as a personal testimony to ourselves in present trouble. David remembers: “I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me” (Psalm 3:4-5). David spends time pondering his past difficulties, possibly remembering when he was being hunted in a similar way by Saul; in that circumstance, David slept and arose, because God was keeping him safe.

    IV. Encouragement

    David takes courage from remembering being spared in the past. He then en-courages himself: “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. ” (Psalm 3:6-7). He expresses his confidence, which gives him confidence.

    V. Living in peace

    David rests in the peace he has found: “Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people” (Psalm 3:8).

    In his summary of Psalm 3, Matthew Henry writes:

    “As the foregoing psalm [Psalm 2], in the type of David in preferment, showed us the royal dignity of the Redeemer, so this, by the example of David in distress, shows us the peace and holy security of the redeemed, how safe they really are, and think themselves to be, under the divine protection” (201).

    For the reader, Henry offers the following:

    “Those speak best of the truths of God who speak experimentally; so David here speaks of the power and goodness of God, and of the safety and tranquility of the godly” (201).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 3.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 142

    Psalm 142

    Commonplace –

    “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me; refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

    I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living” (Psalm 142:4-5).

    Like Psalm 141, Psalm 142 begins with David crying out to God. He shares his troubles with God. He speaks of his loneliness and despair; no person is there to help him. Then, David reminds himself that God is his refuge and portion in the “land of the living”. Even if man abandons him, God is ever present. He ends on a confident note with full faith that God will save him:

    “…the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me” (Psalm 142:7b).

    Matthew Henry advises the following:

    “Those that are troubled in mind, body, or estate, may, in singing this psalm (if they sing it in some measure with David’s spirit), both warrant his complaints and fetch in his comforts” (626).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 142.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 77

    Psalm 77

    Commonplace –

    “I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice” (Psalm 77:1a).

    Yesterday was a particularly difficult day for me, so reading these words is an encouragement. Like the psalmist, I cried unto God. I looked for comfort from Him, and the words that came to me as comfort were from Psalms 57:7: “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.” In my hour of need, the encouragement I received in my prayers was to remain focused on God and not my circumstances. So, when I remark that Psalm 77:1 is an encouragement, it is because I understand what it is like to cry out to God. And, even more so, I understand what the Psalmist means, when he says,

    “and he gave ear unto me” (Psalm 77:1b).

    I cried, God heard, and He responded. He gave ear to me and sent me encouragement by reminding me of the words of Psalm 57:7. In the rawness of the pain I felt, I said those words aloud to God in the company of Christian friends. Praise God that He is always faithful.

    In Psalm 77, the Psalmist cries out to God for a few verses,

    “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.

    I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah” (Psalm 77:2-3).

    After a few verses of expressing his trouble, the Psalmist teaches us what to do, when we are in need:

    “I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.

    I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

    Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will He be favourable no more?

    The Psalmist acknowledged his own struggle, and, instead of wallowing in it, he searched for a solution. He started asking questions and moved to answers.

    “And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.

    I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.

    I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings” (Psalm 77:10-12).

    The Psalmist shifted His focus from His circumstances to God. The Psalmist answered his own question of whether God was still present in his life by telling himself to remember what God has done. When he began to do this, he recalled

    “Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people” (Psalm 77:14).

    Then, the Psalmist recounted specific instances where God brought victory out of what appeared to be defeat; he recalled God leading the Israelites safely and successfully out of Egypt against what seemed like insurmountable circumstances, including the problem of how they were going to get to the other side of the Red Sea, which was blocking their path. The Psalmist reminds us that even nature is subject to God.

    “The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled” (Psalm 77:16).

    The Psalmist ends with the comfort that God led the Israelites, therefore, He will be faithful and lead me in my time of trouble, too.

    “Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (Psalm 77:20).

    Matthew Henry sums it up beautifully.

    “This psalm, according to the method of many other psalms, begins with sorrowful complaints but ends with comfortable encouragements” (Henry 430).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 77.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg