“I called on the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.” (Psalm 118:5)

Stress has a way of making life feel tight — squeezed, confined, pressured from every side. The Hebrew word for distress literally paints that picture: something narrow, restrictive, troubling.

But Psalm 118 gives us a different picture.

When we call on the Lord in a tight place, He sets us in a broad place.

In this message, we will discover how to respond biblically when stress closes in:

- Call on the Lord – Not panic. Not spiral. Not isolate. Call on Him.

- Know He will answer – “Call to Me, and I will answer you” (Jeremiah 33:3). He promises His presence in trouble (Psalm 91).

- Know He is on your side – “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.” If He is at your right hand, you shall not be moved.

- Know He is for you – Romans 8 reminds us that God is working, interceding, and shaping us through every circumstance. If God is for us, who can be against us?

- Trust in the Lord – Not in man. Not in systems. Not in earthly strength. “Some trust in chariots… but we trust in the name of the Lord.”

From Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego standing in the fire, to David facing Goliath, to Paul pressing forward despite chains — Scripture shows us that stress does not have to control us.

The world reacts to stress with fear.

The believer responds to stress with faith.

Stress may surround you — but it does not have to move you.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, pressured, or uncertain about what’s ahead, this message will remind you of an unshakable truth:

- You are not alone in the tight place.

- The Lord hears you.

- The Lord is with you.

- The Lord is for you.