April 29

Moments with God, April 29

Psalm 62:5-8 (NIV) 5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. 7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. 8 Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

While at OSU, I lived in the married student housing on campus. The units were old army barrack, which made them affordable. One day I was relaxing at home alone when I began to hear my neighbors talking outside. When I walked out the back door, I saw people getting into their cars and driving away. My neighbors explained we were under a tornado watch, but the sky was clear, so I went back inside. I would look out back door from time to time but saw nothing that alarmed me, yet the exodus continued. However, when I decided to look out the front door, the sky was dark, and I saw a cloud rotating. I closed the door, ran to the car, and sought shelter in one of the buildings on campus. As the tornado passed over us, I was thankful I had found refuge in time.

Since then, I have been close to other tornados that have caused us to seek refuge at our neighbors. Watching the weather is a pastime of most who live in Oklahoma. Those physical storms present one threat. We also have been threatened by spiritual storms that can often be more dangerous. David knew that feeling very well as he fled from King Saul who threatened to kill him. When we read David’s psalms, we find that he took refuge in God and always found peace and comfort. In these verses, he stresses that he will not be shaken because God, Who is his refuge, will never be shaken. Similarly, Jesus tells all of us that He is our refuge and shelter and that we can come to Him. Running from that tornado and seeking refuge was not cowardly; it was wisdom. Running to Jesus to find refuge is not running from our problems or being weak. It is recognizing that we do not walk alone. We do not fight our battles alone. Instead, running to Jesus Who is our refuge is love, wisdom, and right.