Refuge and strength

Psalm 46:1 (ESV)

God is our refuge and strength,

    a very present help in trouble.

The first words of this psalm announce its theme: God is our refuge—our fortress and shelter. God is also our strength, our help—the one who deals with the perils surrounding us. And because God is our refuge and help, we have nothing to fear, even if nature throws its worst tantrums at us.

A group of Jesus’ followers feared for their lives in a storm one day, out on a boat in the middle of a huge lake. Then their Teacher stood up and said to the wind and the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind quit; there was dead calm. “Who is this?” they asked. “Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (See Mark 4:35-41.)

The Lord Almighty was in that boat as their helper; the God of Jacob was their refuge.

Our faith is always being subjected to storms and earthquakes. Where can we find safety and security? Listen to Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way. . . .”

There is a certain and trustworthy basis for our faith—the God who made us and everything in our world. In all circumstances, no matter how terrible or frighten­ing, our unchanging God is our refuge and strength.

In what ways has God been your refuge and strength?

Dear Lord, we know you are God. Help us to remember this when our worlds shake and our hearts tremble in fear. Shelter us, Jesus, in your strong, safe arms. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Against all odds

Psalm 91:1-2 (ESV)

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say[a] to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust.

In the documentary mini series called "Against All Odds" a remarkable story is told about an Israeli platoon who found themselves in the midst of a minefield along the Syrian border during the Yom Kippur War. When the platoon realized they were in a minefield they pulled out their bayonets and started to dig out mines and to disarm them, when suddenly a fierce wind began to blow removing the sand from the minefield. Each and every mine was then exposed and the soldiers ventured through the minefield unscathed.

Sometimes we feel we are in a minefield. Yet despite being in the midst of a war zone, we find peace and rest in the shadow of the Almighty!

Seek to dwell in the secret place by seeking a deeper relationship with Him this new year, so that when you hear of wars and rumors of wars swirling all around you, you can say with confidence, "You are my refuge and my fortress: my God and I will trust you!" May the Lord richly bless you as you develop that intimate relationship with Him!

Dear Lord, we thank You for always being there. Thank You for being our refuge in the midst of all the turmoil around us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.