“For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.” This is the introduction our psalm. The sons of Korah were Levites who were charged with part of temple care and services.

“God is our refuge and strength,

“A very present help in trouble.”
Psa 46:1

If you wanted to pick a key theme of psalms, and Revelation, and indeed all of Scripture, is that God is a very real help when men are in trouble. This is an incredible assertion to many men of all ages, for sure including Bible times. The wicked say of such things,

“They say, “How does God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?””
Psa 73:11

The wicked trust none of these things. They trust in their own preparations, their lands, their money, their swords.

Even so, yes! We will have problems.

God disciplines and punishes both men and nations. Elihu talks about climate change for correction or for love.

“11 Yes, he loads the thick cloud with moisture.
He spreads abroad the cloud of his lightning.
12 It is turned round about by his guidance,
That they may do whatever he commands them
On the surface of the habitable world,
13 Whether it is for correction, or for his land,
Or for loving kindness, that he causes it to come.”
Job 37:11-13

We are told,

“It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, …” Heb 12:7

Further,

“For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;”
2Cor 4:17

Clearly though, not all have discipline / chastisement.

“But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” Heb 12.8 KJV

Even death is not permanent for those God loves

Of the babies that Herod the Great had murdered in an attempt to kill the Christ, the prophet says,

“16 Thus says Yahweh: Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says Yahweh; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. 17 There is hope for your latter end, says Yahweh; and your children shall come again to their own border.” Jer 31:16-17

God promises,

… “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.”
Heb 13:5

Or as Jesus promises,

… “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he die, yet will he live.” Jn 11:25

God will speedily answer calls to Him

“7 Won’t God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, … ? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. …”
Lk 18:7-8

If we will turn to Him in true repentance, the Lord will turn the hardships away. It is only when we harden our hearts and will never turn, that punishments become relentless. Just as it is in the book of Revelation of those final times of our universe.

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.