When You Need Refuge
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” Ps 46:1.
What comes to mind when you hear the word refuge?
I think of a photograph I’ve seen of a lighthouse at the end of a pier. Waves are crashing around the structure, nearly engulfing it. But the lighthouse stands firm. The waves can batter it. The storms can rage. But it remains a safe, secure and stable hiding spot for anyone inside.
We all face various types of storms. Sometimes we bring them on ourselves. Sometimes they overtake us. Sometimes they are brought upon us by others…Trials. Suffering. Hurts. Disappointments. Betrayal. Where do you run when these things threaten to engulf you?
According to this verse, God is our safe hiding spot. He is our refuge.
He is our strength when we have none left of our own. Or when we just realize that ours is insufficient. He delights in lovingly displaying His strength in our weakness. “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness…'” (2 Cor. 12:9a).
I love the next phrase in Ps. 46:10 – “a very present help in trouble.” He is so there for me. He’s abundantly present. Exceedingly present. The Hebrew word “present” has to do with being “found.” The Holman Christian Standard Bible translates it this way: “a Helper who is always found in times of trouble.” When we seek God, when we run to Him for refuge, He is very “findable.” Jeremiah 29:13 confirms this when it says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Another angle on this subject is found in Isaiah 40:11. “He tends His flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart…” He wants to envelop us in His strong and loving embrace. When we run to Him, He welcomes us. He receives us with arms wide open.
And in that place of refuge, we find unrivaled love and tenderness.
So today, no matter what you are facing, no matter what your past, no matter what burdens or shame or pain you carry, run to Jesus. Seek Him. You will find Him. You will find a secure Refuge and a tender Shepherd.
How has God been a refuge for you?