"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him"
- Nahum 1:7 (NIV)
This verse has become, as many say, a life verse.
When deciding what book to read next in the Bible, I tend to lean towards the books that I have yet to read or rarely hear quoted. It was during a rocky and uncertain season that I found myself diving into the book of Nahum and within the first chapter was captivated. I don't think a verse has jumped out at me as vibrantly as this one did.
As soon as I read the word "refuge", I instantly thought of the American Red Cross and how in times of trouble from natural disasters are viewed as a refuge. A place where people can find food, water and shelter to protect themselves and recoup. It's an amazing and selfless organization that tends to people in the most dire situations, they make themselves available. People choose to accept the help of this organization because they trust them, they know their nature is to help and to restore.
This is exactly who God is and wants to be for us! God fills in for whatever we need. In sorrow, He brings joy; in pain, He is the healer; in the chaos, He is peace. As individuals, we only run to people or organizations if we can trust them when we are vulnerable. God wants us to look to Him and turn to Him in every situation and He will provide for us. It may not be in the way we initially think but it will be exactly what we need because even through our own confusion, God sets things straight. He cares for us deeply, turn to him in the valley and the mountain top seasons; He will never leave us or forsake us.
As christians, I have heard God be called the living water and the living hope, this is true because He is living which also means the refuge that He provides will always be accessible and available for us! Hence the name, living refuge, He's not gone or has forgotten us, He is right in the midst with us waiting and wanting for us to call onto Him.