Refuge One.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

David -- Psalm 46:1

     From time to time, each of us need a refuge.  We need a hiding place.  We need to get to a safe place where it seems well with our souls and is indeed well with our souls.  David sang about such a place in the hiding place psalm.  He actually wrote this song for his people to be sang in worship.  Here is the good news of the about our refuge.  I write it today in Refuge One, with more to follow.

     "God Is."

   It is true that "The fool (insane person) says in his heart there is no God ... Psalm 14:1.  Well, David is NO fool.  He had done some seriously challenging living in his life time, and he experienced God in some powerful ways.  If David knew anything he knew that "God is."  He found that just knowing "God Is" empowered his life.  

     Take some time to sit still for a moment in a chair.  Quiet yourself.  Breathe deeply and slowly.  No matter what you are experiencing, just take a 5 minute vacation, and as you do so simply say, as you exhale from your breath, "God is."  Don't complicate it, but empower yourself with this simply  breathed expression of your faith in God.

"God Is Our Refuge." 

   David knew, as I hope you come to know,  that God is, and He is for you: He is your hiding place. He is your hideaway.  He is your shelter from the storm,  your sanctuary, your safe haven and security.  He is your protection. He is the one to whom you go when there is no other place to go.  When all else fails, you He succeeds for you.  At least this is what He wants for you. 

"God Is Our Strength."

   Strength is an interesting thing:  When we are very young, and we age, most of us seem to get to be much stronger.  Then something begins to happen to us.  As time goes on, our strength is less than it was in our early days.  Or it may be that we face challenges or storms in life, and for a while, we do okay; however, if the challenge is protracted, and the storms seem to not cease, this challenge and storm becomes much more personal and stressing. In, time the strength that is only human will begin to wane and let us down. However, I am here to tell you today that there is some very good God news!  You don't have to rely only on the mere human strength that you have.  You can depend on The True and Living God who wants to be and is your strength.  You can call out to Him, and you can be still in Him.  You can allow Him to take over, and you might just be amazed how much stronger you become when you allow God to truly give you strength, especially when you are at your most weakened point.

"God Is Ever-Present..."

     In my book Rock-Solid Living in a Quicksand Word  I tell the story about a legend that was told in the 1960's.  The Communist Soviet Union had sent it's Cosmonauts out into space, and when they returned, "Pravda" (The propaganda paper for that government)  set up an interview with the Cosmonauts.  They already had planned the questions and the answers.  They asked these men, "When you went out into outer space, did you see God anywhere?"  The Cosmonauts gave the safe and expected answer of their Kremlin atheistic masters: "We have been all out into outer space, and we did not see god anywhere."

     Shortly thereafter, some Astronauts were asked the same question:  "When you went out into outer space, did you see God anywhere?  The American answered, "I went all out into outer space, and I saw God everywhere."  This is precisely what David meant.  No matter what your circumstances, trauma, trials, tribulations, joyful experiences and happy times, God is "ever-present."  He is present for you anywhere, anyplace and any time ... no matter what.  At least He is present for you,  if you have the eyes of faith to see, like the astronauts... or if you have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.

"Help In Trouble."

     There may be a few people in this world who never have trouble.  I am not one of them, even though I live in a relative safe and affluent place.  Over the years, given I served in the U.S. Military, I saw what trouble was and is. I experienced it up close and personal.  Trouble can find anyone.  It can be found in the pain of divorce.  It can be found in going through the educational process.  It can be found when life hands you unexpected hurts.  It can be found in the death of a child, a spouse, a brother, a sister and or a friend. Trouble can find you in the early morning, at noon at night.  It can knock you off your feet, and it can leave your feeling vulnerable and alone.  God IS here to help you when you are in trouble. 

    You don't have to face it all by yourself.  Why?  Well, you don't have to face it alone because God IS.  You don't have to face it alone because God is your refuge.  You don't have to face it alone in your own strength because God offers you His strength, and "God has big shoulders."  You don't have to face it alone because God is present with you and for you wherever you may be.

SoJourner