THE LORD OUR REFUGE

Nahum 1:7  The LORD is good.  When trouble comes, he is a strong refuge.  And he knows everyone who trusts in him.  NLT

      We need to know this; we MUST know this.  God is a strong refuge when trouble comes.  There is no trouble that we may experience that is greater than God’s ability to handle.  Most of us know what it is to have troublesome times.  Sometimes we are the root cause of it and many times we aren’t.  What really defines our character is how we handle trouble. 

      We can look at our troubles and cry and moan about them.  Many people are good whiners when trouble comes.  They bemoan the fact that things are not going as they think they should.  They complain instead of striving to make positive changes to get themselves out of their troubles.

      Some of us face trouble with no clue as to how to help ourselves get out of it.  The size of the trouble overwhelms us and controls how we think and feel.  Instead of focusing on how great our God is, they think how great their trouble is.  They forget God’s promises of help and deliverance.  God takes a backseat to their troubles.

       One of the things that often happens during troublesome times is to neglect one’s time alone with the Lord.  This is the worst thing that we can do.  Our help comes from the Lord!  When we neglect the Word of God and prayer, God no longer is in the forefront of our hearts and minds.  We must stay connected with the Lord if we are going to find help in Him.

      The right response to trouble is to take refuge in the Lord.  It is trusting in God’s care and His ability to help us out of trouble.  It is not wavering in our confidence that God will help us.  It looks positively at the help that is ours in Christ.  It is believing that all things do work out for those who love the Lord.  It is seeing life with eternity in view instead of the momentary troubles of life. 

      The Lord is the only strong and safe refuge for the troubled soul.  He will always help those who seek refuge in Him.  He knows His children by name.  He knows our weaknesses.  He knows our struggles.  He knows our needs.  As the old hymn writer put it, “Jesus is our rock in a weary land…a shelter in the time of storm.” 

      Whether you are in a stormy place in your life right now or not, Jesus is our strong refuge.  Take shelter under His loving wings.