God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. Psalm 46:1-2
The wind has been blowing boisterously since last night throughout most of North Carolina. In some cases, people’s houses have been damaged by falling trees, schools have been closed, and many roads are also closed due to fallen trees. Many people went to sleep last night with their homes intact, only to wake up this morning to see extensive damage to their properties.
Some people take it for granted that a storm can hit at any time. There is no way of predicting many of life’s storms. No one can predict when he or she is going to be diagnosed with cancer or another terminal illness. We seldom know when a loved one is going to die, or when we are going to lose our employment, or face a major relationship crisis.
Indeed, the storms of life can come at us with ferocity and unpredictability. Someone can go to sleep in good health and wake up with a stroke. What was once a loving marriage can turn into a nightmarish situation of verbal or physical abuse by one of the partners.
Everyone needs an emergency management plan for dealing with storms. Some people build bunkers that are stocked up with food and other necessary supplies so they can survive a storm. Others disregard the possibility of storms and try to deal with storms as they come.
The Bible gives believers a reliable plan for dealing with storms. It reminds us that God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Without God, any and all emergency plans will fail. God’s emergency plan cannot fail because He is omnipotent, and there is no failure in Him. That is why we are told in Psalm 34:19, “Many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”
After my family and I did family prayer last night, I went to sleep without any worry or concern because I know that the Lord is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Though the house shook as the wind blew ferociously, I did not fear because of my trust in God. I know that God inhabits the physical house my family and I live in and our physical bodies; therefore, I knew we would be safe.
A refuge is defined as a place of security and safety. God is the only one who can guarantee our safety and provide security in times of storm. He invites us to dwell in the secret place and abide under his shadow (Psalm 91:1). Those who accept his invitation may be “hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
The adage is that most people are either in a storm or on their way to a storm. What is different for believers is that we have the best storm insurance in the world through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Jesus can calm any storm, and “He guards the steps of His faithful ones” (1 Samuel 2:9).
Do you have a refuge for the storms of life? Whom do you call when sorrows like sea billows roll into your life? Is well with your soul when the storms of life blow, and when the cares of this world take their toll? If that is not the case, may I recommend you get to know Jesus and make the Lord your refuge? He is the only shelter that will always welcome you and make you feel safe.
Prayer- Blessed Lord, please strengthen those that are experiencing a life’s storm without the blessed assurance that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior.