God is our refuge and strength
Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:
What did I like about today’s passage?
In this time when we are all seeking refuge – physically and emotionally – I’m struck by the writer’s confident call for people to declare together that God is not just one of many layers of protection for us, part of our refuge portfolio. He is our refuge and strength.
“Be still and know that I am God” – does this reflect how I deal with stress? I’m aware that I generally feel much better when I can get on and do stuff. It gives me a huge sense of wellbeing to feel engaged and useful, to make even a little progress on a project or work task. I realise I must have been desperate to do that this week – I even tidied up!
But look at the difference when people rely on God together. The writer refers to difficult times, wars, desolations, uproar and falling kingdoms – this would shake anyone. Yet the Spirit stirs God’s people to sing praise to God and lead “all the nations” as they do.
Why is this so important, and is it for everyone or just people without anything else to rely on? I’m struck by Psalm 49’s description of the levelling effect of wisdom for “both low and high, rich and poor alike.” No matter how wealthy, well prepared, educated or insulated anyone feels because of “trust in themselves”, all we have and all we are is perishable. Lasting life only comes from relying on God for refuge and strength and, amazingly, this is equally accessible for all.
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
God knows how we are in times of challenge and he loves us. So instead of leaving us to work things out by ourselves, he calls us to connect with him.
His Spirit enables and encourages people to do this collectively, not just individually – note how many times the Psalms say “we” and “our”. He also engages our whole minds and beings as we do, not just our singing voices – look at how rich and wise some of the ideas are, far more than catchy choruses while still poetic and beautiful to absorb.
What am I going to do differently as a result?
I thank God a lot for the work I can do and the stuff I can use to work with. I feel blessed to have opportunities to be creative and do good things. But I need to check my perspective and get better at being still, knowing and trusting God. I don’t want this to be an extra thing on my to-do list (SCHEDULE QUIET TIME. CHECK!) but maybe I do need to carve out time for more breaks from stuff so I can build my everyday, 24/7 reliance on God.
Who am I going to share this with?
In my upcoming work conversations, I’m going to look for chances to share what else is important to me, including this.