4 Minute Read + Scripture readings
Today’s Bible Reading:
Ruth 1
Acts 26
Jeremiah 36, 45
Psalms 9
Today’s Bible Verse(s):
Psalm 9:9–10 (CSB): “The Lord is a refuge for the persecuted, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you because you have not abandoned those who seek you, Lord.”
Reflections on Today’s Bible Verse(s):
The verses that I have chosen for today are comforting. Very comforting!
However, we may quickly grow disheartened if we misunderstand them and misapply them. So let’s talk about them for a moment.
First, let’s talk about what they do not mean. They do not mean that running to the Lord will erase our troubles. They do not mean that if we trust in the Lord passionately enough, our problems will go away.
Instead, what they mean is that we can find comfort in the midst of our troubles. When bad things happen, we can run to the Lord in prayer as we trust in Him.
But the word “refuge” is used in our verses two times. And a “refuge” protects. So what does praying to and trusting in the Lord protect us from?
While there could be a ton of answers to the previous question, I’ll give the first one that comes to my mind. The Lord protects our minds and hearts.
Simply put, life can chew you up and spit you out. So many people have experienced tragedy upon tragedy in their life that can be labelled as nothing other than trauma. If that trauma is experienced and then not positively resolved, it can leave someone anxious, angry, depressed, bitter, or any number of other negative emotions.
But, if we got to the Lord with our problems, if we tell Him all about what we are experiencing and feeling, and if we rest in His power, love, and goodness that will work even those bad things for our good, then we have a great chance that our minds and hearts will be protected even in those dark valleys.
I’ll never forget when my wife was 9 months pregnant with our first son and we raced to the hospital to welcome him into our family. But, something went wrong. Horribly wrong. While he was still in my wife’s body, his heart rate was going down into the 30’s and 40’s. That’s dangerously low for a baby about to be born. Kim and I cried out to the Lord. We were traumatized but we rested in the fact that God would hear and answer us. We were also convinced that He would see us through no matter what happened to our son.
Running to the Lord for refuge provided the help and protection we needed in those moments. God will be your refuge, too, if you’ll just run to Him, especially when life get’s tough.
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Lord Jesus, thank You for being a refuge in a time of storm. While I realize that I will have really bad things happen in this life, You are there to help and protect me and my heart as I go through those times. Thank You so much! Amen.
Matt’s Musings 