When God Comes Through in Tight Places

Psalm 46 and a Personal Miracle

Recently, my mom faced serious health complications. The kind that makes your heart drop. The kind that wakes you up in the middle of the night. There were moments when fear tried to take over. Moments when the “what ifs” felt louder than faith. But in that tight place — in that space where we had no control — God moved in a way we can only call miraculous.

God healed my mom.

And since then, Psalm 46 hasn’t just been Scripture to me. It has become personal.

A King Surrounded

My mind keeps traveling back to 2 Kings 18–19. Here we meet King Hezekiah — a leader described as someone who trusted the Lord wholeheartedly. He tore down idols. He remained faithful. He walked in obedience.

And still, crisis came.

A wicked king — Sennacherib of Assyria — surrounded Jerusalem. He mocked their God. He taunted their faith. He demanded surrender. Hezekiah did something simple and profound: he took the threatening letter into the temple and spread it before the Lord. He didn’t strategize first. He didn’t panic publicly. He didn’t try to control the outcome. He turned upward. And in a single night, God struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. The army retreated. The threat dissolved. The battle belonged to the Lord. Everything changed overnight.

Obedience does not spare one from crisis — but positions one for deliverance.

I think of my mom. She has trusted the Lord wholeheartedly for most of her life. Faithful. Steady. Prayerful. And yet, she too found herself surrounded.

But like Hezekiah, we brought the letter — the diagnosis, the fear, the unknown — and laid it before the Lord.

And God fought for us.

God in the Middle of the Storm

Many believe Psalm 46 was written in response to those events in 2 Kings 18–19. It reads like a victory song — not of human strength, but of divine intervention. It begins not with the problem, but with God:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

There are three truths anchored in this psalm — and now, my heart.

God is our refuge. Not merely a place we run to — but He Himself is our safety.

God is our strength. Not borrowed courage, but divine empowerment when ours runs out. God is a very present help. Not distant. Not delayed. Abundantly available in tight places. Because of this, the psalmist can say:

“Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way…”

Even if mountains crumble and waters roar — God does not move.

The secret to peace is not the absence of chaos. It is the awareness of God’s nearness.

The River of His Presence

“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God…”

Jerusalem had no great river. No natural source of abundance. Yet the psalm speaks of overflowing joy and stability.

Why?

Because the stability of the city was not geographical — it was spiritual.

“God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved.”

That line hits differently now. Hospitals can feel like shaking ground. Test results can feel like rising waters. But when God is in the midst, the foundation holds.

He is the Lord of hosts — commander of heaven’s armies. And He is the God of Jacob — personal, patient, gracious.

He is Lord of all. And yet, He is Lord of one.

He is the God of Jacob. He is my God. And He is my mom’s.

Be Still

Then comes the invitation:

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

This isn’t passive resignation. It’s surrendered trust.

Stop striving. Release control. Let Him be God.

There were so many moments when I wanted to fix, manage, calculate, prepare for every outcome. But stillness became our act of faith.

And God proved faithful.

A Question for You:

Where has God proven Himself in your life?

Where are you feeling surrounded right now?

What letter do you need to lay before Him?

My mother’s healing is one more reminder that God still fights for His people. He still moves in tight places. He is still a very present help.

And when He is in the midst, we shall not be moved.

Prayer

Lord,

You are our refuge, our strength, and our very present help in trouble. Thank You for fighting battles we could never win on our own. Thank You for working for our good and for Your glory. Teach us to be still. Help us trust You more deeply. You will be exalted — and You are with us.

In Christ's Name, Amen.