Promises, promises

Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.

Over the years, there is a long history of places of refuge that even find within their place in the law of the land and within the tradition of the church. A refuge is the state of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or difficulty. In the Old Testament there were cities of refuge the Cities of Refuge were six cities allocated to the Levite tribe that provided asylum for perpetrators of unintentional manslaughter. Divinely appointed and subject to Mosaic Law, the cities offered offenders refuge and protection from retribution of the avenging family until their case went to trial.

But what of those who have no place of refuge. We are well too familiar with the plight of the countless number of refugees through history that sadly still blights our world today. 

Just take some of the headlines of writers who put the plight of refugees in context.

From an Office for Refugees “To be called a refugee is the opposite of an insult; it is a badge of strength, courage, and victory.” From the pen of Nadia Hashimi “Refugees didn’t just escape a place. They had to escape a thousand memories until they’d put enough time and distance between them and their misery to wake to a better day.” With Khaled Hosseini saying - “Refugees are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, with the same hopes and ambitions as us—except that a twist of fate has bound their lives to a global refugee crisis on an unprecedented scale.”

In Charles Wesley’s Hymn, “Jesus lover of my souls”, he hass the verse that puts us in the same place as the refugee when in the second verse he writes”-

Other refuge have I none

hangs my helpless soul on thee; 

leave, ah! leave me not alone, 

still support and comfort me. 

All my trust on thee is stayed…

During an earthquake, a few years ago, the inhabitants of a small village were very much alarmed. One old woman, whom they all knew, was surprisingly calm and joyous. At length, one of them said to her, “Mother, are you not afraid?” “No, she replied, I rejoice to know that I have a God who can shake the world.” 

I wonder if I have such a trust mentioned by the Old Women and the Psalmist.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank you that in times of trouble, in trials, in our fears and worries, we can run to you and find you to be a refuge and strong tower. You are our strength and our safe-place. Lord, help me trust you with my decisions and future. Let me lean on you with all my heart instead of relying on my own imperfect understanding. Give me clear guidance in my life. I ask for your help to direct my path. In your name and strength I ask. Amen