God is Our Refuge and Strength - Psalms 46-48 and Acts 28

People run to many things to hide from trouble and to be safe from the stresses of life. Most of these things that they depend on are temporary at best. Most do not really protect them at all. They just give them a sense of false security. However, the Lord is an eternal refuge. He is the one to whom we can run, and we will receive rest and protection from all of our enemies forever. That does not mean that everything in life will be perfect, or that we will not have troubles. It does mean that anything that gets to us has to come through Him, and He will not allow anything to come that is too strong for us. He will gives us the strength to stand. The psalmists probably used this analogy because Jerusalem was their refuge. It was a fortified city on a hill. It was a place they could run when the enemy came, and they would be safe. In fact, they could defeat the enemy from that stronghold. The Psalmist came to understand that the walls were not the true protection, but it was the Lord. We all need to see this today, too. We should not ever trust in money, power, or earthly resources. God is our refuge and strength.

Paul knew this truth well. When he was bitten by the deadly snake. He did not die, because God was his refuge. When he came to Rome, the rest of the prisoners went to prison. He went to a rented house with a guard for 2 years, and he could preach and witness to anyone who came. Paul was free even in his imprisonment, because God was his refuge and strength. Again, his life was not without pain, but he knew God was in control, so he could run to Him as his refuge any time, and God was there for him. I pray that we all have that same realization. It is the only way to have real peace and joy in the life of tribulation.

Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 49-50 and Romans 1.