Rediscover the Bible for Life
“A Refuge in the Storm”
By Dennis Lee
Life is filled with troubles.
Now there’s something nobody ever thought about! But while troubles are a foregone conclusion, we don’t think the same about God being our refuge through them.
But that’s exactly what God is, a refuge through the storms of life.
You might think of it as the eye of the storm. God is the eye of the storm, that is, while hurricane force winds swirl around you, God keeps you from them in His peace.
This is something King David experienced time and again, and proclaims it in several of his psalms.
“The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” (Psalms 9:9-10 NKJV)
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.” (Psalm 46:1-3 NKJV)
No matter what you’re going through God’s promise is that when we trust in Him He’ll be our refuge, the eye of the storm, that place of safety.
Now this doesn’t mean you’ll never experience storms, but rather He’ll protect and see you through them.
God never delivered Noah from the great storm; rather He kept and saw Noah through it.
Even though you may not see Him, God is always there. He’s faithful and true, and His promise is that He’ll never leave you nor forsake you, and He’ll be a place of refuge and safety when the storms of life hit.
So when the troubles come, crawl up on your heavenly Father’s lap and allow His loving arms to wrap around you, because it’s only in the arms of God you’ll find His comfort, love, and protection.
Our hope in the midst of troubles is the mercy, compassion, and faithfulness of God. This is what we need to remember when things around us get out of control leading toward our demise.
This is what the prophet Jeremiah remembered giving him hope.
He was experiencing the fullness of God’s wrath against the sins of the people.
“I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath. He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light.” (Lamentations 3:1 NKJV)
Jeremiah would have lost all hope if he hadn’t remembered God’s loving-kindness.
“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:19-23 NIV)
When these times come, and they will come, place your hope in the Lord and wait for His deliverance, because the Lord is pleased in those who do. This is what the prophet Jeremiah says along with others who have experienced God’s grace.
“The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.” (Lamentations 3:25 NIV)
In the end, hoping in the world, or in your ability to handle what you’re facing, will fail. But when our hope is in the Lord, His mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness, Lamentations 3:22-23.
Dennis Lee is the senior pastor of Living Waters Fellowship in Mesquite, Nevada.
