Aid In Trouble

Και ὅλως ἐφ' ἑκάστος Χρείας ἐλέγχῃ, ῥήματι μὲν τὸν Θεὸν ὀνομάζων καταφυγὴν, ἔργῳ δὲ τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἀνωφελῶν καὶ ματαίων βοήθειαν ἐπισπώμενος. Ἔστι δὲ τῷ δικαίῳ ἀληθινὴ βοήθεια ὁ Θεος. Ὥωπερ τις στρατηγὸς ὁπλιτικὸν γενναῖον ἐξηρτημένος ἔτοιμος ἀεὶ βοηθεῖν τῷ καταπονουμένῳ μέρει· οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς βοηθὸς ἡμῶν ἐστι, καὶ σύμμαχος παντι τῷ στρατευομένῳ κατὰ τῆς μεθοδείας τοῦ διαβόλου, ἀποστέλλων τὰ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα πρὸς τὴν συωτηρίαν τῶν δεομένων. Εὑρίσκει δὲ ἡ θλίψις πάντα τὸν δίκαιον διὰ τὴν τοῦ βίου ἐπιτὴδευσιν. Ὁ γὰρ ἐκκλίνων μὲν τὴν πλατεῖαν καὶ εὐρύχωρον ὁδὸν, ὁδεύων δὲ τὴν στενὴν καὶ τεθλιμμένην, εὑρσκεται ὑπὸ τῶν θλίψεων. Ἐμψύχως τὸν λόγον ἐσχημάισεν ὁ Προφήτης εἰπών· 'Ἐν θλίψεσι ταῖς εὐρούσαις ἡμᾶς σφόδρα.' Ὡωπερ γὰρ ζῶα ἔμψυχα καταλαμβάνουσιν ἡμᾶς, ἐργαζόμεναι ὑπομονὴν, καὶ διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς δοκιμὴν, καὶ διὰ τῆς δοκιμῆς ἐλπίδα. Ὅθεν καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολός φησι· Διὰ πολλῶν θλίψεων δεῖ ἡμᾶς εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ, Πολλαὶ αἱ θλίψεις τῶν δικαίων. Ἀλλ' ὁ γενναίως καὶ ἀτεράχως τὸν ἐκ τῆς θλίψεως πειρασμὸν ὑπομείνας ἐρεῖ, ὅτι Ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν ὑπερνικῶμεν διὰ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς. Καὶ τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει ἀπαυδᾷν καὶ ἀποκνεῖν ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν, ὅτι καὶ καυχὴματος ἀφορμὴν τὸ ὑπερβάλλον τῶν κακῶν ποιεῖται λέγων, ὅτι 'Οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσι. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμός ΜΕ' Source: Migne PG 29.417b-420b

For in sum each necessity will disgrace you when you name God as your refuge but the affair that drives you to seek that assistance is worthless and vain. The true help of God is for the righteous. As a general always directs his aid to those who labour most of all the army, thus God is our refuge and fellow fighter in every struggle against the assaults of the devil, sending an administrating spirit for the salvation of those who call. And the righteous man meets with every sort of trouble through the course of his life, for declining the wide and easy road, he travels on the narrow and difficult way and he is beset by tribulation. 1 Of this way of life the prophet speaks, saying, 'Tribulations have beset us everywhere.' 2For like wild animals they seize upon us, thus fashioning our endurance and through endurance is proof and through proof there is hope. Whence the Apostle says 'Through many troubles it is necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven.' And: 'Many are the tribulations of the righteous.' 3But those who stay true and strong in the trials of their tribulations shall say, ' All these things we have conquered by your love for us.' 4And as for the one who gives up exhausted and shrinks away from troubles, even being overcome by the bad is the beginning of our boast, for,'Not only that, but we glory in tribulations.' 5 Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, from Psalm 45 1 Mt 7.13-14 2 Ps 45.2 3 Rom 5.3-4, Acts 14.21, Ps 33.20 4 Rom 8.37 5 Rom 5.3