God Is Our Refuge

Last night we had a storm with lightning and thunder as you were going to bed. My youngest daughter was a little scared because of the storm, and as I tucked her in she said a prayer. She prayed for Heavenly Father to protect us from the storm and after that she was able to sleep without any problem. It was a powerful example to me of what it means to trust in the Lord, and she does that very well. This week in our Come, Follow Me reading there are many passages in the book of Psalms in which the author expresses trust in God, and these can help inspire us to turn to Him in our times of need. One of the most famous psalms is number 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (v1-4). These words encourage us to trust in the Lord as sheep trust in their shepherd, believing that He will lead us to where we want to go. Sometimes we may feel that we are walking through “the valley of the shadow of death,” but we need not fear because we know that He will be with us. The “green pastures” and “still waters” represent the peace and joy and safety that His gospel path will lead us to. This psalms is what inspired Leanna Crawford’s song “Still Waters” in which she sings these words that our family listens to often: 

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want

He leads me by still waters 'til my fears are gone

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

Oh, I know You are with me, my Father, my friend

Your goodness and mercy will follow me all of my days

I know by Your still waters I'm safe

We can indeed know that His goodness and mercy will be with us all our days as we trust in Him.

                Other passages from this week’s lesson similarly encourage us to trust in the Lord. The psalmist asked, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?... For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock…. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psalm 27:1, 5, 14). To wait on the Lord is to trust in Him and believe that He will help us, and the rhetorical questions affirm that we need not fear when He is our light and salvation. Another passage says this: “Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever” (Psalm 28:6-9). He can be our strength if we trust in Him; He will save us and feed us and lift us up forever. I love this passage which again highlights that He is our strength: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof…. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge…. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (Psalm 46:1-3, 7, 10-11). God can be our refuge and help in trouble when we trust in Him.  

                Though we had somewhat of a storm yesterday, it was nothing like the two storms we experienced in Florida recently on our trip. The first came as we were leaving Sea World. As we tried to make it to our car, there was suddenly a torrential downpour that caught us totally off guard. It was hard to even walk or see where we were going the rain was so intense. Needless to say, many of us were soaked through by the time we finally made it into the car and we were grateful to make it safely with everyone. The second came the next day as my family was on the beach. Again, almost out of nowhere it started to downpour and they tried to find shelter under an umbrella as I was bringing the car to them. In both experiences, the car was the refuge from the storm and rain. Though we weren’t really in any grave danger, it was certainly not pleasant to be soaked and try to get everyone to safety amidst the heavy rain through which we could hardly see. Those experiences, though, can bring more meaning to these passages from the book of Psalms, for we saw the waters that roared and found what it meant to find a physical refuge when the waters were not still. And as we put our trust in Him, turning to Him in prayer every day and trying to keep His commandments, He will indeed be our refuge, strength, and help in times of trouble.