With the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris, France, this past week, the idea of refuge becomes intriguing. We want refuge from terror, refuge from pain and grief, refuge from trouble of all kinds.
I am grateful that I have God as my refuge, and it’s next on my list this Thanksgiving month of things I am thankful for.
“O Lord, you have been our refuge throughout every generation,” the Psalmist declared (Psalm 90:1, GWT).
According to dictionary.com, refuge means “shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc.; a place of shelter, protection, or safety; or anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape.”
When we place our trust in God our Savior, we can run to him for protection or relief. I think of the hymn by Frances Crosby, “He Hideth My Soul.” Based on Exodus 33:22, the chorus says:
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
I love that picture of being hidden–protected–in the hollow area of a rock and covered with God’s hand, safe
from anyone who wants to do me harm. In the physical sense, of course, we are not always kept safe. Christians all over the world are persecuted and killed by those who hate the name of Jesus. And sometimes, tragedy happens without regard to one’s faith, simply because we live in a broken world.[Tweet “God is our #refuge, no matter what the world deals us. #4WeeksofThanks #CharacterofGod”]
But for those who love Jesus, we have the promise from scripture that God is our refuge, no matter what the world deals us. Emotionally and spiritually, He will surround us with “the depths of His love” as we go through trials. And when this life ends, He becomes our eternal refuge.
Will you join me this week in thanking God for being a Refuge?
