Where is your refuge?

My morning routine [usually] looks very similar on a day-to-day basis, even on the weekends. Part of that routine involves some time in the Word. One particular resource I use during this time is the InTouch Ministries Daily Devotions, which I receive in magazine form. Last Monday's subject was Encouragement in Every Season, and the associated Scripture was Psalm 62:5-8. The devotional from Dr. Stanley focused on how God is faithful, He will do exactly what He says, He is more than adequate to meet our every need, He is always with us...you know, some fairly standard truths. One particular quote I found helpful, right at the very end of the devotional, was this:

“Difficulties may cause us to question God’s dependability. But if we’ll place our trust in our omniscient, omnipotent Father, we can begin each morning with a fresh sense of His faithfulness, which will carry us through the day."

I believe I have experienced enough life to know that to be true for myself. If I may, though, I want to speak to the passage of Scripture itself in the way that it came off to me when I read it. For reference, here it is:

⁵ My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.
⁶ He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
⁷ On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
⁸ Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.            Selah.        (Psalm 62:5-8 NASB)

David starts this Psalm in the first verse by making a statement: "My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation." I find it interesting how in verse 5, as we see above, that he seems to be reminding himself that yes, indeed, you need to wait for God: He is where your hope comes from. It's probably fair to say that we need to remind ourselves of this regularly. I know I do. It is all too easy to get caught up in the things of the world. It is too easy to feel hopeless today. Not to sound cliché, but all you have to do is turn on the news. Remembering that God is our hope, that He is our stronghold, that in Him, we cannot be shaken...remembering this is paramount to surviving, especially from a mental standpoint.

What really grabbed my attention, though, was verses 7 and 8. "My refuge is in God." What is a refuge? According to Merriam-Webster, it is... 

1. shelter or protection from danger or distress
2. a place that provides shelter or protection
3. something to which one has recourse in difficulty 

God is our Creator. He knows all things. He is everywhere at once. He is all-powerful. He is so many things, and He is also our shelter from danger. He is our protector. He is our source of help in times of difficulty. When trouble comes, we can run to Him. No matter what. He is always waiting for us with open arms. We see this time and again in Scripture. Even if we are responsible for our own trouble, He still will be there for us when we decide to come home to Him. Just read the parable of the prodigal son. God's love for us is unconditional: it doesn't matter what we've done or what we're facing. We can always find refuge in Him. But if you're anything like me, you tend to forget this, often times in moments when you need God the most. And then you choose to run to someone else, or something else. Only God can fully satisfy. Plus, finding genuine refuge in Him doesn't have the possibility of further negative outcomes. Depending on what you substitute for God, you can all too easily find yourself in a cycle of unnecessary misery.

God calls to us to pour out our hearts to Him. Only He knows us well enough to take our outpourings and cause us to see ourselves for who we really are, which is who He says we are. At the end of the day, what God thinks of you is all that matters. Why wouldn't we want to run to Him for refuge in times of hardship? He is omni-everything-good. So why do we choose to take refuge elsewhere? I cannot answer that question for everybody. Some days, I don't think I could even answer that for myself. I don't want to simplify it by saying "we're human," though that is, naturally, true. One of the most frustrating things in life has got to be knowing what you should do, but not doing it (or knowing what you should not do, but doing that anyway). We think that doing what feels good for a moment will be enough to numb the pain. But it never is. We need a God who heals us, a God who sees us exactly for who we are and knows exactly how to care for us. He can certainly work through other people to help us, but if we're not doing our part of actually seeking Him, we're going to miss out on His best for us. We may even go down a path we never intended to walk.

When you find yourself in times of trouble, seek refuge: seek God. I promise you that running to anything else will only leave you wanting.

In Times of Hardship

Let's face it: this life is not a cakewalk. Some days are easier than others, of course, but there are always the inevitably tougher periods of time that have the potential to drain all traces of life out of you. Sometimes we are faced with extremely busy schedules where it seems as if we will never finish the never-ending task list on time. Other times we find ourselves in the midst of drastic life changes that have seemingly spawned from nowhere. Then there are the times when we experience tragedy and heartbreak and struggle miserably to try to put the pieces back together. The last of these three things can be especially difficult if they happen to come to mind in later years around the time of the original incident; experiencing even a little bit of the original sorrow is never enjoyable.

Through experiencing all of these things myself at one time or another, or by experiencing them with someone else, I have learned two very important lessons. The first is that no matter what happens, God will never forsake us and is always ready to receive us in a loving embrace to take away the pain, the fear, the worry... Christ dying for us proved the ultimate, unconditional love He has for us, and He desires for us to lean on Him and to take His yoke upon us. Christ offers us rest, comfort, peace, and everlasting love in all situations we experience. By placing our full trust in the Savior of the world, we can know that everything will turn out okay, even if current circumstances seem to suggest otherwise.

The second lesson I learned is that in addition to trusting in God, it is highly beneficial to have friends and family that you can turn to at any time for help and encouragement, no matter the experience. Suffering hardship alone is possibly the most difficult way to live through that tough time. Having a fellow human being that you can turn to can be a huge source of comfort. Being a shoulder to cry on or simply being a voice to talk things out can go a long way. Even answering your phone just for the sake of answering it so that the person on the other end can feel some kind of comfort in their distress through the mere sound of your voice can be more than enough in that moment. We were created to live relationally: we need to have each other's backs no matter what the situation. One simple expression of love, compassion, and care at a particular moment during a rough experience can make all the difference in a person's life.

There are many times in this life when we will feel weak and weighed down by the burdens that we face. It is important to remember, however, that Christ has you covered at all times. I really like the way the bridge of Elevation Worship's Give Me Faith puts it:

I may be weak, but Your Spirit's strong in me
My flesh may fail, but my God You never will

No matter what we are facing, we can always count on God to pull us through. It is also incredibly helpful to have trustworthy friends who are willing to encourage you, suffer along aside of you, and pick you up when you fall. The power of love can go a long way. Do not choose to suffer alone: rest in the love of Christ and be thankful for the friends and family in your life who will not abandon you when you need their company the most.