Broken Shelter

Scripture:
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble." Psalm 46:1

Observation:
This is one of the basic and most common promises in the scripture. God is to be a real help to us. He is to be the one that we turn to in hard times.

Application:
There are seasons in life that I have found this verse to be absolutely true in my life.
I have approached God during hard times and He has given me His peace or deliverance. But there are also times that this verse is a little more difficult to live out. This confuses me. The Word is clear, "a very present help" is what it says. So, what am I supposed to do when that very present help seems to be very far away? The scriptures paint a picture of a very strong shelter, but a lot of times my shelter feels broken.

Prayer:
There are seasons of life when the promises of Your Word and the realities of my life do not line up. In some ways, I find myself in one of those seasons now. I cling to Your promises like one clinging to a rope while hanging over a cliff. I feel the weight of all that I face bearing down on my grip and I fear that I am going to fall. I pray that You sustain me during this time. Give me pure thoughts. Help me to stay in Your word and be poised in what I think. Help me not to be consumed by my emotions. Frustration wells up and my feelings run wild during a time like this. It is really easy to feel like You are not there or that You do not care, but I pray that You keep me standing firm on what I know to be true; not what I feel. Control my tongue. What I speak matters. Your Word tells me in James that the tongue is a fire. It tells me that even though man can tame every wild beast of the field, he can't tame his tongue. I pray that every word I speak be pure. Help me to not speak from frustration or desperation. Give me words of peace and comfort. In the heat of the moment, I am bad to blow off steam and vent my feelings. I pray for Your grace when that happens, but I also pray for a healing inside of me. Create inside of me a connection with you that I feel beyond anything I have ever known or experienced.