I have heard or read somewhere that animals can sense coming natural disasters. Sharks flee to deeper water before a hurricane, earthworms come out of the ground before a flood. Birds take shelter and hunker down before a thunderstorm. Dogs will howl before an earthquake hits. They all sense something about to happen, something not so good. And there is that old chestnut about old people who can predict the weather is about to change because they can feel it in their left knee.

We can also feel trouble coming into our spirit if we are tuned to God. As an old radio and satellite TV engineer, I think that is a good word to use. Tune, into God, and point the antenna of your heart towards Him. We can call out to God in our day of trouble but we can also call out to Him the day before as well. We call out and trust in Him, which is much better than trusting in man to fix anything unless God is using man to fix it. That is a different matter. I have learned that the First thing to do to get God to take care of anything is to not try to fix it myself first. I will not get the right hand of God to take me there if I try to remain the driver of my "Horse and Chariot". There is an old saying that I know :

"Let Go and Let God" and then our day of trouble starts to become a memory. The writer of Psalm 20 understood this. Call upon God and He will answer. Trust in Him. I know it is hard sometimes. I have been in some terrible situations where I believed God could, He could but I was not so sure He would take care of me and my family.

My faith in Him is strong, and it becomes stronger the more I lean on HIm. Some person told me, with disdain in his voice, that "religion is just a crutch". I knew he was referring to my faith in God and Jesus not religion as a whole. My response to him, and he was a bit drunk at the time, was my "crutch" doesn't give me a hangover in the morning, it gives me joy. And it supports me in my day of trouble too. My faith keeps me upright, all right.

Psalm 20

1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;

may the name of the God of Jacob protect you!

2 May he send you help from the sanctuary

and grant you support from Zion.

3 May he remember all your sacrifices

and accept your burnt offerings.

4 May he give you the desire of your heart

and make all your plans succeed.

5 May we shout for joy over your victory

and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

6 Now this I know:

The Lord gives victory to his anointed.

He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary

with the victorious power of his right hand.

7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

8 They are brought to their knees and fall,

but we rise up and stand firm.

9 Lord, give victory to the king!

Answer us when we call!