Luyada Gbuda, the president of his denomination in Zaire, was describing conditions in his native land in 1993. Again and again he used the word crisis.

Politically, the nation was in turmoil, and an outbreak of fighting was a real possibility. Economically, the country was caught in raging inflation. No one had money to buy what few goods were in the stores. Fuel prices were soaring. The nation was suffering.

Gbuda said that as he travels among the believers of Zaire, he proclaims a message of encouragement based on the words of David in Psalm 138. He challenges his listeners to think of God’s greatness and to praise Him as their true source of help (vv.1-6).

The psalmist was confident of God’s ability to rescue him even when trouble surrounded him (v.7). And he could look to the future with hope because he recalled how the Lord had taken care of him in the past (v.3).

We all face difficulty. Perhaps you are in a crisis situation right now. You’re hurting and afraid. Even so, you can sing praise to the God of power, love, and mercy. Pause to remember that He can be trusted. It’s the right thing to do—and keep on doing—in a time of crisis.

  — David C. Egner