Many times, we may find ourselves disappointed in people who did not live up to our expectations. Interestingly, whether we realize it or not, we place expectations upon places as well. Consider the restaurant that we expected to deliver the best meal ever, the remote destination that looked nothing like the brochure when we visited, or the school that today appears much smaller and more vulnerable than we remember from our childhood.

One such place we may constantly find ourselves at odds is upon the places which we seek for refuge. Be it the home, at work, at school, or some other designated safe place, we can easily find that these are the places that we face the most turmoil! What are we to do? Where can anyone find a place of refuge that will not disappoint?

Consider these words as we reflect upon this thought:

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see what the Lord has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46

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refuge
1: shelter or protection from danger or distress
2: a place that provides shelter or protection
3: something to which one has recourse in difficulty

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

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Reflection

• What distresses you today?
• Have traditional places of refuge proved insufficient in the past? If so, how?
• Where is the first place you usually turn when facing difficulty? Why?
• What is the effect of constantly living in a state of turmoil and trouble?
• What advice and comfort would you give to someone overwhelmed by fear?
• Is it always easy to trust God? Explain.
• What benefits could come from remembering how God has delivered in the past?
• What harm could come from forgetting how God has delivered in the past?
• Has God been a recent refuge for you? Explain.