Refuge

What is that thing you promised to stay away from but you turn to when you’re stressed, hurt, broken or disappointed? Where do you run to in times of need? Who do you turn to meet your needs? In other words, who is your refuge? A refuge is defined as something or someone turned to for safety, assistance or and resort. If you’d be sincere, what would be the answer to these questions? It could be food, movies, relationships, drugs, alcohol, sex, music, the list could go on and on. Here’s something I learnt last Sunday at church, the wrong refuge which may not be necessarily bad but brings three things- disappointment, distance and destruction.

See what the psalmist said about refuge;

This may sound so poetic but take a minute to chew on those words- he describes God as not just a help but our very present help in trouble and I think that’s very comforting, to know that whenever we’re feeling down, stressed, scared, worried, whatever it may be, we have help right there with us even when we don’t realize it.

One songs I love so much is ‘O come to the altar’ by elevation worship, here are some of the wordings-

Are you hurting and broken within?

Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin?

Jesus is calling

Have you come to the end of yourself

Do you thirst for a drink from the well?

Jesus is calling

O come to the altar

The Father’s arms are open wide

Forgiveness was bought with

The precious blood of Jesus Christ

Leave behind your regrets and mistakes

Come today there’s no reason to wait

Jesus is calling

Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy

From the ashes a new life is born

Jesus is calling

Honestly, everything I’d love to share is summed up in those lyrics. It doesn’t matter who or what you’ve turned to in the past, the weight of the guilt, shame or disappointment you carry doesn’t mean anything, God is ever ready with arms wide open, if only you’ll come back to the altar