No Greater Refuge
Be Strong, Be Well — Tuesday, April 14
We have been apart now for about a month. Most of us haven’t seen each other face-to-face since our last worship together on March 15th.
Since we’ve been cooped up in our houses for weeks on end, we’re beginning to feel the adverse effects of isolation. Many things are weighing heavy on our minds these days. Anyone of them would not be unusual under normal circumstances. But when they’re all piled up on us at the same time, we can start to feel a sense of uneasiness. If we’re not careful, we could slide into anxiety and worry.
We can’t escape being reminded constantly about sickness and death. We’re all trying to stay away from it and protect ourselves. In our daily prayers we ask God to spare us and those we love. Ideally, we want God to spare the whole world from anymore grief.
During this isolation from others, we’re thinking more about the church and the things we miss by not being together. We miss that bond of love and fellowship we have with our beloved brothers and sisters. We miss those words of encouragement. We miss the laughter, the teasing, the hugs, and especially our worship and prayers together.
We concern ourselves with the burdens others are having to bear. The economy has shaken up so many households. We wonder what the future has in store for us/them.
Remember, there’s always a brighter view of things when we turn our focus on God. Remember, we are His children and He understands our needs and concerns.
There’s no greater place of refuge than God’s word. Take a few minutes to meditate on these scriptures.
“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer” (Psalm 4:1).
“And the LORD, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed" (Deuteronomy 31:8; cf. Hebrews 13:5, 6).
God will not lay upon us anything we cannot bear. He promises to help us handle every burden and every care. We are not alone. Whenever God thinks about His children, isolation is not in His vocabulary. When we hear the slogan of the day, “We’re all in this together,” think of God standing beside us. There’s no social distancing between God and His children. —Chris