Why are we surprised when trials come, when disappointments mount, when unfortunate events snowball? Why are we caught off guard when health fails, or when friends betray? In Psalm 34:19, we read the truth. God’s people will not be spared hardships. Jesus Himself was very candid about this: “In the world, we shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). But thankfully, neither Psalm 34:19 nor John 16:33 ends there. The psalmist proclaimed that the Lord delivers the righteous from those certain afflictions. And Jesus reminded believers who are suffering that He has overcome the world. Are you hurting right now? What pain and hardships beset you? Remember, in our times of trials, we believers experience God’s provision. If you are skeptical, think about hard times in the past when God delivered you. You know that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow—He is faithful, powerful, loving, and wise. God is as capable of rescuing you from your present circumstances as He has ever been. Be ready to praise Him for the work of deliverance He has already begun. Let us have supreme confidence in the one we serve! God will sustain us by His Spirit! — Psalm 34:19