Strength for Today
February 13, 2026
When life feels unstable, we quietly wonder how close help really is.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 (ESV)
This verse does not promise a trouble-free life. It speaks of help that is present within trouble. The refuge God provides is not distance from difficulty but support within it. Strength is given where strain is already felt.
Many of us share the fear that help will arrive too late or from too far away.
The psalm teaches us to think differently. God’s help is not delayed by geography or circumstance. It is already present. This does not remove the weight of hardship, but it steadies us within it.
Knowing God as refuge reshapes endurance. We are not left to hold ourselves together. The same God who knows us and remains near also sustains us. Trouble does not change His position toward us.
Christ stands at the center of this promise. He entered suffering rather than avoiding it. In Him, God’s help took on flesh and stayed. Because of Christ, refuge is not a concept but a relationship.
Life continues to bring moments of weakness. The promise here is not escape but presence. We are upheld before we ask and accompanied as we walk through what we did not choose.
This confidence grows quietly. Over time, we learn that help was nearer than we realized.
Today: When a concern surfaces, pause and acknowledge God as your present help before taking any further step.
For further study and encouragement:
Isaiah 41:10
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****Our country feels like it’s coming apart at the seams.
Families argue and churches feel the strain. It’s easy for Christians to get pulled into anger, fear, or plain exhaustion.
So I’m starting a live online Bible study for my paid Substack subscribers. One hourish, Zoom-style, just for us.
We’re going to open the Bible and ask a simple question: How does a Christian live, speak, and think in 2026?
We’ll deal with the real stuff we’re all bumping into right now. The “spiritual but not Christian” wave, the constant outrage online, money worries, a restless mind, conscience questions, work and calling, mental heaviness, spiritual warfare, and how to stand for truth without turning sharp.
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In 2018 two things happened that showed me exactly how close to me God really is. I entered recovery in March of that year. After years of alcoholism and an eating disorder, God met me in the darkness. The moment I reached for Him, He was there. Not with condemnation, but with love. In Him I was granted the strength to faithfully walk into recovery with perseverance and conviction. In October of that same year, Hurricane Michael devastated my home in the Florida Panhandle. A fledgling in recovery, my progress could’ve ended there. But God remained close. He strengthened me daily. Through His steadfast presence, this very real disaster turned into a deeper opportunity to trust in Him. This year I celebrate 8 years of recovery. Not by my strength, but by His. God is ever present. In the good times and in the storm. I am grateful for His closeness, relying on Him in every moment to guide my recovery journey and to increase my faith. He never fails me.
Thank you Pastor 🙏
God is a faithful Father who never leaves ✝️🤲💜