This blue spruce stands in my backyard. I planted it 20 years ago and am quite fond of it. Recently, I watched 14 inches of snow fall during a spring storm. Several trees and bushes suffered broken limbs under the weight of the wet, heavy snow. Not this tree. No trouble at all. The blue spruce sloughed it off, secure in the snow.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).

We live in a time of trouble. Our world, under the strain of virus, seethes with trouble. But trouble does not bother the Lord. God remains ever-present with us, secure, a refuge, standing in the storm.

Zoom calls, home isolation, six feet of personal space and wearing masks to the store all help us avoid the spread of Covid-19. But these safety measures fail to put my mind at ease. They only amplify my worry about what I might catch. On the other hand, an ever-present God blesses with peace.

As I read the daily numbers of deaths and infection rates, and I hear of what may be ahead of us, one truth continues to comfort me: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Pray for peace, pray for strength, pray for courage. Pray and remember that God is present with you.