A Refuge In Time Of Trouble
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1
The one hundredth anniversary in 1986 of the Statue of Liberty was a glorious experience and a reminder that America is an immigrant nation. Nearly all of us can trace our roots to another land.
After the Vietnam War, tens of thousands of immigrants came to America as refugees. Many more went to other free countries. The refugees were looking for safe havens for themselves and their families, away from wars and hunger and need. America has provided a safe haven for millions, a place where immigrants can pursue their hopes and dreams.
Like the torch held by the Lady in the harbor, God’s light shines to signify that He is a refugee for all who wish to flee from the storms of life, “a helper in the time of storms,” as the hymn says.
My wife once heard this story about a poor woman who went up to the foothills in a Chinese town to cut the grass. Her baby was tied to her back and a little child walked beside her. In her hand was a sickle to cut the grass.
Just as she reached the top of a hill, she heard a roar. Frightened, she turned and saw a mother tigress springing at her, followed by her two cubs.
The illiterate Chinese woman had never attended school or church, but a missionary once told her about Jesus, “who is able to help you when you are in trouble.” As the tiger’s claws tore into her arm, the woman cried out, “O Jesus, help me!” The tiger, instead of attacking again, suddenly turned and ran away.
The Bible says, “He will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11 RSV).
What “beasts” are attacking you? Chances are you will never be attacked by a wild beast, but you will be attacked by doubts, by fears of other kinds, by worry, by loneliness, by despair.
Cry out to Jesus and He will answer you just as surely as the Chinese woman’s desperate cry was heard and answered.
Our Father and our God, hear my plea! I am in trouble, and only You can save me. Please send Your angels to protect me. Surround me with Your strength. You are the fortress for my soul, my city of refuge. I run to You for comfort and shelter. Through Christ. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).