“God is our refuge, and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
Where is your place of refuge?
Are you disturbed by the challenges in your daily life or by the uncertainties in the world we live in today? Do you look for security in money, status, or image? Do you seek the Lord as your refuge in these situations?
Today’s Scripture describes how God provided for the Israelites during a siege conducted by the Assyrian army. The Assyrians thought their victory would be swift, but they did not realize the Israelites were finding refuge in God. Prior to the siege, King Hezekiah’s faith in God prompted him to lead his army to dig a tunnel passing through the Kidron Valley and connecting to the Gihon Spring. When it was completed, King Hezekiah ordered his men to cover the entrance to prevent the enemy from finding the tunnel, which provided the water necessary to sustain his people throughout the siege. Through this incredible story, we are reminded that in trouble, God is our refuge and he is the same God yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
The God who was unshaken and eternally in power in biblical times is the same God today. We should find our security in him as believers when we are feeling uncertain, afraid, or frustrated by life’s many challenges. When you devote your life to God, he will sustain you and as you seek to honor him. You will be safe under his protection just as the Israelites were.
We can be encouraged and find hope in the famed poem by Martin Luther called “God is our Refuge in Distress”
God is our refuge in distress Our shield of hope through every care. Our Shepherd watching us to bless, And therefore will we not despair; Although the mountains shake, And the hills their place forsake, And billows o’er them break Yet still will we not fear. For Thou, O God, art ever near.
Jesus, thank you for being our refuge. Help me to cover myself in your protection and to live a life fully devoted to you. Teach me to trust you and to know that you are in control. In your holy name I pray, amen.
Turn to God in worship and thanksgiving whenever you begin to feel anxious or afraid, knowing you are safe in him.
By Julie Lairsey
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• God Is…
• The Powerful Reality by Ruth Calkin