"Good Ends Good"

"But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: He is their strength in the time of trouble." (Psalms 37:39) I really think that this would be a great Psalm to meditate on during a 40 day fast; just take verse one on the first day, and then add to it every day, meditating and praying over all that God speaks into our hearts. As for this verse, we can truly understand the first part very easily, because Jesus Christ is the Salvation of God; therefore, we need not look any further for where "the salvation of the righteous" might come from; it's "the time of trouble" part of this verse that has me scratching my head; but only for a moment, (no pun intended). Actually, "the time of trouble" could mean a variety of circumstances, such a tribulation, or persecution; or it could actually apply to the time of our departure, meaning, the time of our death. We all should hope that we finish strong; not being caught up in the things of this world, but being totally in love with Jesus, and looking forward to throwing ourselves down at His feet; but there are some among us that simply want to ride His coat-tails into heaven, and are not really interested in how they might finish, just that they have been saved and have been assured eternal life in heaven. I don't judge the outcome of such an attitude, I can only be responsible for my own, and I am required to judge that only; but I will say: fruit is something that can be used and gives something back; if there is no fruit, then something has been lost in the connection with the source of Life that bares the fruit. Personally, I would prefer to know for sure that I was connected to the Vine, because that time of trouble could come at any time; James puts it like, "For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." (James 4:14) With regard to "strength", that which we have of God in the time of trouble, it has something very closely related to "salvation", that just so happens to also be of God; which also just so happens to be closely related to "The Helmet of Salvation" which Paul refers in Ephesians 6:17; which is worn to protect our minds, not wavering in our faith, because we know from where our salvation comes; which he speaks of again in 1 Thessalonians 5:8... "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." (1 Thessalonians 5:6-11)