We all need refuge. It’s a wonderful place. Calm, quiet, and peaceful. In our refuge, we are reminded of our hope and our renewed hope leads to strength. This is what we thirst for. And make no mistake, we will find it. The question is, will it be worth it?
There is no better way to say it than Psalm 52:7, which reads “see the man who would not make God his refuge but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction.” Wait, what? You mean that the refuge I have been seeking and building and longing for and chasing after might lead to my own destruction? Absolutely, says David.
With that understanding comes new responsibility. We must determine where it is that we are seeking refuge. For some, it may be obvious while the rest of us have worked hard to cover our tracks. For example, do you remember the Bible verse about money being evil? It’s 1 Timothy 6:10 and says “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils.” If you are like me, you’ve found ways to reinterpret this verse. Now, we soften it. Instead of relating money to evil, we relate money to good by saying “money is good for the good it can do.” Wow, that’s brilliant. Suddenly, I feel good about money again. I want to go make more and do some good! Refuge found.
There is no end to my deceptive heart (Jeremiah 17:9). If I am to be true to myself and real to God, I must subject my thoughts and actions to Him. This is done by subjecting them to Scripture, through prayer, and the Church – the community of believers. There is no other way to find it. Refuge found.