I read this morning that as thousands of Ukrainian women and children arrived at Berlin’s railway station fleeing war, they were met with a surprise-German families holding homemade signs offering refuge in their homes. “Can host two people!” one sign read. “Big room [available],” read another. Asked why she offered such hospitality to fleeing strangers, one woman said her mother had needed refuge while fleeing the Nazis and she wanted to help others in such need. (Source: Our Daily Bread-9/13-Sheldon Voysey author)
The word refuge stood out to me as I read that story. I think of a refuge as a place to hunker down during a storm. There have been times I have been out riding my bike when a storm has hit unexpectedly (and I was trying hard to beat it). Out of necessity I have ridden in a misty rain or a steady rain (Getting from Point A to Point B), all the while looking for a place to get out of the rain. But a storm? I look for the first porch, first barn, first roof, first covered inset of a building to (hopefully) wait out the storm.
Multiple times in the book of Psalms we read the word refuge. Here are a few:
Psalm 2:12- “Kiss the Son…Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”
Psalm 5:11- “Let all who take refuge in you rejoice…”
Psalm 7:1- “O Lord my God, in you I take refuge…”
Psalm 11:1- “In the Lord I take refuge…”
Psalm 16:1- “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge…”
Psalm 46:1- “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (It is reported H.G. Wells once said, “God is an ever absent help in time of trouble.”)
As you can see the verses speaking of God as a refuge are many, and those are just a small handful of verses from Psalms.
Storms come. They know no discrimination. They know no boundaries. We will all experience storms. Some catastrophic; some light. Some inexplicable; some easy to read. What makes a difference is to WHOM we run. In WHOM will we seek refuge? David, the author of most of the Psalms, found his refuge in God.
What about you? Where will you find your refuge?
I run to God, Bill, right away. Only he can calm my storms and give me refuge.
Blessings!
Glad to hear that Martha and I say Amen to your comment.
Thinking about the German families holding signs, that just makes your heart smile, and what a great message to start the day out with.
There are so many things we can not control in our lives, or prepare for, they will blindside us when they hit us. It doesn’t matter whether the storm is a short rocky rough ride, or a long draining heartbreak, when it comes it hurts. God has hundreds of places in the Bible where He states clearly, come to me and find, rest, peace, refuge, love, grace, there is no one that loves us or wants to protect us more than God. Your weakest moments produce the most intimate time with God. Immerse yourself in God’s promises, cling to the truths in the Bible, and just let God work in your circumstances. There is no promise that the journey will be easy, but the experience will change how you see your circumstances, and how you see God if you lean into Him.
You are right Gail. The Bible has so many places where it says that. My few verses was just a drop in the bucket of verses aimed at telling us God is there for us through all circumstances.
I think God is really the only one we can rely on when seeking refuge. If we put our hope in anything less, it is likely we will be disappointed.
The proof is in the pudding Ryan. All we have to do is look around at the sad state of affairs of peoples’ lives.
God is surely my refuge. I recently told my family that I sometimes don’t know where one prayer ends and another begins throughout the day. I am calling on Him so often. I honestly do not know how people make it through life without putting their trust in Him!
I have commented often just what you have said Cheryl. I do not know how people make it through life without God’s presence in their life. I don’t even want to think about where I would be without Him.