How oft in the conflict, when pressed by the foe,
I have fled to my Refuge and breathed out my woe;
How often, when trials like sea-billows roll,
Have I hidden in Thee, O Thou Rock of my soul.
—Cushing
I have fled to my Refuge and breathed out my woe;
How often, when trials like sea-billows roll,
Have I hidden in Thee, O Thou Rock of my soul.
—Cushing
Have you ever played "Catching" as a child? It's one of my favourite games, as it is such a simple game, yet so fun and exciting, and it engages everyone! Once the "Catcher" is appointed, his/her aim is to try to catch as many of the rest of the players as possible, by running up to them and tapping them on the back. It can be pretty challenging, as boundaries are often set to limit the area within which you can run to get away from the Catcher, so you got to make sure you don't get cornered easily! Sometimes, to make the game more interesting and easier for the younger ones, we have further set a corner as "Home"--a neutral ground where you can rest for a while, out of reach of the Catcher. So, many of the less confident players will linger in the vicinity of the Home and race to its safety upon the Catcher's approach.
Many times in life, troubles and fears will assail and threaten to destroy what that matters most to us. Sometimes, they can strip us of our dignity and crush our hopes and dreams. In these seasons of darkness, many of us will fumble around, frantically turning to all kinds of solutions to look for a way out; some will try to run away and avoid confronting the problem at all cost; while others fall into a state of despair and depression; and still others will turn angry and bitter and start questioning about life and God. In the midst of these painful struggles, a terrible sense of helplessness will often overwhelm us, because we know something dreadful is unfolding, but we have no way to stop it from over-taking us and taking away what we hold dearly in life.
Yet God did not leave us "Homeless" as defenceless orphans in this world with its troubles and uncertainties. He has given us a Home that we can run to whenever we are intimidated or attacked by the conflicts and trials of living. And the Home is His name, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Prov. 18:10). In the face of impending ruin and doom, God has given us the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Rest and Confidence. When we call to Him and pray in His name, He stoops to listen and gives us His peace and joy to guard our hearts and minds. In His power and grace, He answers our prayers, strengthens our faith and satisfies our souls, so that we can shout for joy and give Him our thanks and praises.
Indeed, the Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him. (Nahum 1:7) And, yes, we can always cry out to Him and run to His embrace when life seems overwhelmingly nightmarish and desolate. We will find that He is just right there, waiting. And He will never let us go.
