"Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge."
refuge: a place of shelter, protection or safety.
A terrible storm is coming and you run for the basement. Someone is chasing you and you run to a police station. Your child gets hurt and runs to your arms. You have a fight with your spouse and you run to your bedroom. You lose your job and you run to a bar. You get sick and you run to the doctor. You gain weight and you run around the track. We are a running people. We are either running to something or away from something, but we're always on the run. We are always looking for a place of refuge, a hiding place that is calm, quiet, restful and safe, a place where we can just simply "be".
This is a beautiful verse of Scripture. Whenever I think of "refuge" I think of running quickly to something or someone. The word "refuge" has always had a sense of urgency for me, a need to hurry to a safe haven because some type of danger is imminent. Unfortunately, a safe haven is not always near by; many times we are caught unawares in a bad or troubling situation and there's no place to go. That is horribly frightening indeed. In the natural, we are at the mercy of our surroundings at any given time and any given situation, and we must make immediate decisions, be they right or wrong, to meet the impending need.
But in the spirit, this is not so. Our God is ever-present, a blink-of-the-eye away from us when we call. I have always carried this vision with me and it has always seen me through some of my darkest times: Jesus is dressed in His flowing robes with great, oversized sleeves, and He's sitting on a bench under a huge shade tree. Whenever I want, at any time, my "little girl self" crawls up on His lap, He wraps His strong, gentle arms around me, and I am totally enveloped in His robe and sleeves. No one can see any part of me, I'm safe and warm and loved and protected and in the only place I want to spend eternity. When I'm very, very still, I think I can almost hear His heartbeat. My refuge. My retreat. My serenity. My joy. My love. My life. My impenetrable shield. Oh my, the sweet, sweet ecstasy of it all, it takes my breath away, it overwhelms me with God's great mercy and compassion. I am safe. Safe.
Our Lord God has promised that all who search Him out will find Him and will know His peace and safety. He is our Rock and our Fortress, our very present help in time of danger. And all the time. Whether it's in peace or in need, Jesus is always waiting to enfold you in Him, to hide you and protect you, to keep you safe. We need to crawl up into His arms just to love on Him, kiss His cheeks, snuggle into His warmth and drink in His heavenly scent. We need to take the time to be refreshed in Him and to let Him know just how much we really, really love Him.
Why do we run to Jesus when we have problems, but we walk to Him just for fellowship? When was the last time you sat alone with your Lord and Master, snuggling and giggling and just loving Him? We do it all the time with our loved ones, what's so different with Jesus? Today's the day to begin something new. Try it, you'll like it.
"Sweet, sweet Jesus, I love sitting with You. I love snuggling up against You and there's no one to push me away. I think of John the Beloved and how he laid his head on Your breast and now I'm doing the same thing. Oh, the joy is unspeakable! I love You so much. There is nothing I need in all the world but You. I don't ever, ever want to leave this place - I long to be with You. Hold me to You, Jesus, never let me go. Always, always draw me closer. I love you, Jesus, I love you . . . . . . "
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Matthew 11:28-29
Psalm 28:7
46:1
59:16
Jeremiah 16:19
Nehemiah 8:10
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