How precious your faithful love is, God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalms 36:7 CSB

The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; he cares for those who take refuge in him. Nahum 1:7 CSB

We are going to talk about the word refuge today. A refuge is a place that can keep us safe from troubles or danger, a place that shelters or protects us. When a thunderstorm comes where do you go? Right, you go inside, in your house or your school or the closest place to get out of the storm. Those places can be our refuge from physical storms.

But where is our safe place to go when we are afraid or worried, or when life seems hard? Both of our verses tell us that God is our refuge, our safe place. I love our verse from Psalms, first it tells us that God’s faithful love for us is precious, of great value, something to be cherished and taken care of.

The second part tells us that God is our refuge and that He will shelter us in the shadow of His wings. It’s a great image to think about. We have wild turkeys in our woods. When a cold spring rain comes the mother turkey spreads her wings and pulls the young poults (that’s what baby turkeys are called) close to her body beneath her wings. She can protect and keep them dry and warm that way.

So, when troubles come our way, God is our refuge, our safe place. We can talk to God and tell Him all of our problems. He loves us and cares for us. When we feel afraid or worried, we give those to God and receive His peace and comfort. When we are sad, we can share our feelings and feel joy in His great love for us.

I want to share one of my “God is my refuge” stories with you. I was sick and the doctors were trying to figure out what was wrong. I had to have a test called an MRI. You lay on this table that slides into a small tube; it takes pictures of the inside of your body. I was so worried and scared that I started to cry. But then I began to pray silently. And God was there with me. I felt calm and peaceful. God replaced my worries with His peace. God was the safe place for me in my storm!

This week, talk to your parents. Has God ever been a refuge for them? Ask them to share their stories. When have you prayed to God and felt better because you know He loves you and wants the best for you? When worries and fears come, take them to God and let Him be your refuge, your safe place.

Blessings and love because God is your refuge!