Our Refuge and Strength
Our verse today is very well known, but it may be misunderstood by many people. God is truly our refuge and strength. He is always found in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1) However, that verse does not assure us that He is there to take away all our troubles. That is only one of His options, when we have troubles. I believe we need to realize that there are other options that are just as valid, and He is still just as good when He chooses one of them.
Yes, God is the One to whom we run when we have times of trouble. He is our refuge. We can go to Him and be safe from the pressures and stress of the moment. Also, He is our strength. We are not strong enough to endure times of trouble well without Him. Therefore, it is always right to seek Him in times of trouble, knowing that we will find Him near to us. He may choose to immediately end the trouble because of His mercy and grace. If He does that, He knows that is what it best for us and others at that time. However, He could choose not to take it away for a period of time or not to take it away at all. If He knows we need the trouble to make us stronger in our faith, He can leave it for our good. As we trust Him, He may remove the trouble. If He never removes that particular problem, we can be assured that His grace is sufficient to sustain us throughout the entire time of trouble.(II Corinthians 12:7-10) In fact, that could be an even better testimony to those around us. If we are able to let them know that God gave us strength and peace, even though we had to go through a huge problem, they will be amazed at the power and grace of God. It could be just what they need to see to trust Jesus as their own Lord and Savior, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 47-49.
Yes, God is the One to whom we run when we have times of trouble. He is our refuge. We can go to Him and be safe from the pressures and stress of the moment. Also, He is our strength. We are not strong enough to endure times of trouble well without Him. Therefore, it is always right to seek Him in times of trouble, knowing that we will find Him near to us. He may choose to immediately end the trouble because of His mercy and grace. If He does that, He knows that is what it best for us and others at that time. However, He could choose not to take it away for a period of time or not to take it away at all. If He knows we need the trouble to make us stronger in our faith, He can leave it for our good. As we trust Him, He may remove the trouble. If He never removes that particular problem, we can be assured that His grace is sufficient to sustain us throughout the entire time of trouble.(II Corinthians 12:7-10) In fact, that could be an even better testimony to those around us. If we are able to let them know that God gave us strength and peace, even though we had to go through a huge problem, they will be amazed at the power and grace of God. It could be just what they need to see to trust Jesus as their own Lord and Savior, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 47-49.