Refuge

 Many years ago, I was facing one of the most difficult moments of my life.  I felt alone, hanging on by my fingernails from the end of that rope that was constantly fraying and threatening to come apart on me.  I did what I often do in those moments, when there is only one place to turn for solace, and when I needed an actual answer, a real word from God.  I turned to God's Word, and the answer fell open to me.  I let the Bible open where it chose, and there was Psalm 91.  No doubt I had read it many times before, but it was all new to me that day, and it gave me a peace I wasn't able to feel any other way.

I love the entire Psalm, but verses 1-2 really say it all for me, and I come back to them again and again.

You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”

These are hard days in this world.  There is strife and conflict everywhere, from international to up close and personal.  But no matter what your worries may be, God is trustworthy.  He will show up, every single time you reach out to him, without fail.

We all need refuge at times, even if our worries don't seem that important in the grander scheme of things.  Life often doesn't go as expected.  Work is stressful.  People are unpredicatble.  Cars break down.  Roofs leak.  Pets get sick.  We are human, thus we worry about tomorrow when we can't even control today.  But whatever is weighing down our spirit, we have someone there to carry it with us, and this verse is a reminder of that truth.

As we head into another week of the stresses and strains of everyday life, carry this assurance with you in your heart.  God is your refuge and your fortress, and you can trust him.