It is 3 AM and your phone rings. It is never good news at that hour of the morning. How do you respond? Are you ready for what is on the other end of the line?

The two Democratic presidential candidates have been running an ad like this in recent days as they joust for the nomination. It is an old campaign ad idea, first run in 1984. My phone has rung many times in the early hours and it is never good news. Usually someone is sick and in the emergency room or there has been a death. Twice in our family, for both our fathers, it has been a death call. So when I am jolted awake by the phone I suspect the worst.

You are never fully prepared for such a time. But you can work your way through the crisis one step at a time. There are no hard rules to remember, no “emergency action plan” that fits every scenario. From my experience you prepare in advance through a life of faith that believes God is involved in your life and is your true partner in every time of trial and crisis. Without that abiding confident faith we will always turn to mush when trouble comes.

There was a book written years ago about a World War II pilot. The book’s title was “God is My Co-Pilot”. You still see the phrase from time to time on license plates. It may have been trivialized but it is a biblical thought.

Psalm 91 is an encouraging one to remember in a time of trial. Verse 5 says “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night”. Verse 15 says “He shall call upon Me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble”.

Read the whole Psalm and keep it as a resource when the phone rings at 3 AM. It will help get you through the dark till the dawning of the day.