People are supposed to call 911 for emergencies only, but many people don’t understand or follow the rule. Police emergency operators in Colorado Springs have received calls from people reporting a TV set that wasn’t working, asking when it was going to stop snowing, and wanting to report an identification theft while they remained anonymous.

I have often wondered if many of our prayers for help sound frivolous to God. It’s impossible to know, but there’s one thing we can be assured of: In our times of need, the Lord not only hears our cries, He is present with us.

Psalm 46 describes times of great calamity, including war and natural disasters. Yet it is a song of trust that begins and ends with the same affirmation: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. . . . The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (vv.1,11).

The Lord is always at work accomplishing His purposes—even when the world seems to be falling apart. He tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (v.10).

We don’t have to fear. When we call for help, we know that He hears and will come near.  — David C. McCasland