Help!

Help!

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalms 46:1 KJV

God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge! You’re a proven help in time of trouble— more than enough and always available whenever I need you. Psalms 46:1 TPT

What is clear again from today's extract is that the season of fear is unavoidable. Life itself is full of unpredictability; there is very little a man can plan for, as is now evident from the pandemic season. It is easy to give in to fear, but the Word of God is the place to go when you need guidance on how to move forward. When you read the verse that follows today's extract, you see the following: Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;  Psalms 46:2 KJV. So fear is an integral part of the complex structure called the human experience, but that is not the full story. 

Before we are introduced to the fear, we are first introduced to the God who has fear under His control. Before I am told about WHAT is ahead, I am first told about WHO is in control. Before I read about what I will go through on earth, I am told about who is able to keep me safe through all that life can throw at me. It then means that if I am to survive what is ahead, I must sort out my location in God as well as my faith system before the experiences come. Of what value is a faith that is not grounded on the unbreakable promises of God's presence, protection and provision? Of what use is a faith that is based on what protections are promised by the world, and against the storms that the world itself promises? No kingdom that will last fights against itself; if it is of the world, nothing of the world can defeat it. 

So, it is important to look at what is promised: does it stand the test of time? Does it match and outrank the coming storm? I read that God is our refuge and strength: symobls of protection, safety, power and victory. What is the use of a refuge if there is no immediate or eminent danger? Of what use is the promise of strength if there is no uncertainty, weakness or insecurity ahead? What is then clear is that whatever God offers is the perfect response or solution to whatever the world is planning ahead. What God offers isn't a reaction to what is ahead; He is the standard bearer of safety, security and protection against whatever it is that is ahead, even what is uncertain. It is not as if God is reacting to all that the world is planning; it is the world that is fighting to break down the defence that God already has in place, even before the world can think up its own storms. 

That is the essence of that last bit: a very present help in trouble. Oh, trouble is coming. God never promised the absence of trials but also He never said He will let us go through them alone. At the very time I need Him, He promises to be available. Well, that is the essence of a proper refuge: it is not one only on good, bright days but on all days. It is not a refuge for a season, but is valid for all times. It is not a place for emergencies only, but a place where I must dwell in consistently. God may not always do emergencies at the time we need Him; He may come through for us, but it may be after some losses. But for all who trust God completely, no matter how it ends, the confidence that God knows what He is doing is the anchor for my soul. 

That was the anchor for the three Hebrew boys when faced with fire; just as it was for Daniel, Paul, Stephen and John. You note that not all of them had 'happy' endings the way the world will define it, but from the accounts of the Bible, their lives still speak as a testament to who God was and did in their lives. They came to the end of their lives, sure and certain of who God was to them. They stand as part of that great cloud of witnesses who are encouraging us to stand fast and trust God to bring us home. Is God that kind of refuge or strength to you as described above? Remember, if it is not the real deal, it is not the same as the real deal. Do I have God as my refuge or is He just one of my many options? His time of favour is here.