"God is my refuge...He's a strong and mighty tower...that I can run to...God is my refuge...without Him...tell me what would I do?". Southern Gospel Hymn
I awoke this morning still tired and nearly exhausted from a very busy week. I pondered what I should write about and found that I could not settle on a subject. Since that is highly unusual for me, I prayed about it. I asked God to give me the topic of the day, as I always do, but still nothing specific came to mind. So, I decided to just enter into prayer and wait for God to bring what was needed to my mind.
As I began to thank God for all His many blessings to me, I was reminded of the night I gave my heart to the Lord. I was fourteen, naive, and had no clue what life was all about. My world was centered around the things of God. We were a family whose entire focus was on the ministry so, while I was fairly well versed in Godly matters, life itself was a completely different issue. As my brothers grew older, they were involved in sports activities, field trips, and hunting expeditions. I, on the other hand, chose the comforts of home. Though I had friends, I was basically a loner. I was so hungry and thirsty for the things of God that it became a separating factor as most of my friends could not understand why I would rather sit with Daddy and his ministerial friends than go out with them. It is still that way today. I have wonderful friends in my church and I adore my pastor's wife. Susan is my totally best friend. However, most of my time is spent alone with God. He is the best friend of all. I am in constant hunger for His presence.
Which brings me to today's thought. As I was thanking God for all He has done for me, I found myself also thanking Him for the hard lessons He has taught me. I said to the Lord, "God there were many times when I wanted you to rescue me, but you had lessons for me to learn.". It was then I felt the unction of the Holy Ghost as He spoke to me and said, "I wanted to be your refuge, not your rescue.". Oh, how grateful I am that he taught me where to run for refuge, how to continue on in the midst of the storm, and how to follow the path of righteousness to find my shelter in Him. How grateful I am now for the times I spent with Him instead of worldly pursuits. Oh, I cannot express to you the joy I feel at this moment.
Lest you think I am boasting or, worse still, you perceive me as a hermit, let me say that I love being with the people of God. I love listening to their life stories and sharing mine with them. Coffee on the porch with Susan and her daughters is one of my favorite pastimes. I love to shop and I love to eat out. Being with my children and grandchildren is always a pleasure. But it is my time with God that renews me. It is His presence that I crave the most. It is the time spent in prayer and meditation that have sustained me through the dark times of life. His Word has, indeed, become my refuge.
All that I have shared with you today has been intended to point you to the only refuge you really have. With all the friends we may gain, all the money we may spend, all the possessions we may accumulate, it is what we gain from God that will sustain us. He will anchor us. He will be our refuge. He will be our teacher and our guide. He will never fail or forsake us and His love is all encompassing. His mercy and grace are renewed every day and He never lets go of us, no matter what.
God doesn't want to rescue us as much as wants to refuge us. He is the only shelter we have when the storms of life are raging high. I urge you to seek Him today. Run to Him, love Him, bask in His presence. He is your strong and mighty tower and you can find shelter in Him. When it comes right down to it, we really have no where else to go but to God. As the song says, "Without Him, tell me what would I do?". As long as He is willing to refuge me, I am willing to seek Him out and hide myself in Him. He is, indeed, my place of refuge.
In Grace,
Marie
