Faith: Where Do We Find Our Refuge? - Jeanne Takenaka

Lisa Jordan

Have you ever considered the places where we find our refuge?

When I was a child, I lived down the road from my grandparents’ dairy farm. My cousins and I used to haul our sleeping bags down the field, over the barbed wire fence, and through the pasture to camp out by the creek. We’d make a fire, roast marshmallows, then fall asleep to the lullaby of the bullfrogs along the water’s edge. Then we’d awake with a layer of dew blanketing our sleeping bags.

One summer weekend, a bunch of us decided to camp out by the creek. As we were gathering firewood, lightning slashed the sky above the treetops. We brushed it off as heat lightning and continued to have fun. My grandma and my uncle stood on their porches and called for us to come home. 

However, before we even had time to gather our things, the darkened sky unleashed its fury. With rain pelting us, lightning brightening the sky, and thunder shaking the valley, we gathered what we could and raced through the field with our sleeping bags wrapped around us. It was so dark we couldn’t see where we were going…or see the barbed wire fence that separated the pasture from the field. 

We reached my grandparents’ house dripping wet with half of our belongings dropped between the house and the creek. 

Seeking Refuge

Despite the storm raging through the night, we sought refuge.  

How many times have the storms of life come up unexpectedly, taking us by surprise? A sudden illness, a job loss, a wrecked marriage, the loss of a loved one, financial struggles. The list goes on.

Faith: Where Do We Find Our Refuge? How many times have the storms of life come up unexpectedly, taking us by surprise? @lisajordan #tellhisstory #refuge Click To Tweet

Maybe we are going through life, complacent and comfortable, doing what comes natural to us. But then one of those unexpected storms of life flashes over us, catching us by surprise. When those happen, we are racing blindly to find our refuge. Sometimes it seems so far away. Other times, it feels like we are tripped up by fences or boundaries. 

Where Is Our Refuge?

But what if your refuge is closer than you think?

The most significant event in Christianity transpired because a tiny baby was born to sacrifice himself for our sins. When we accept the gift of salvation, Jesus offers us the only refuge we need. 

But how do we find it when we need it most?

What Does Refuge Mean to You?

First, we need to consider what a refuge is to each one of us. To me, a refuge is a place where I can find safety and security. Growing up, my grandparents’ house was my refuge. I have many happy memories of family holidays, Saturday night sleepovers, playing tag in the yard with my cousins. There, I wasn’t afraid. 

I’m grown now and that old farmhouse is no longer my refuge. As a born-again believer, my refuge isn’t in a place, but in the One whose promises can’t be broken. 

Who Offers Us Refuge?

Jesus offers us the security and protection we need as long as we keep our faith in him. And that can be a little tricky when life storms are battering us. 

Faith: Where Do We Find Our Refuge? Jesus offers us the security and protection we need as long as we keep our faith in him. And that can be a little tricky when life storms are battering us. @lisajordan #tellhisstory #refuge Click To Tweet

When we talk to God through prayer, dig into His Word, and take His promises to heart, then we are even closer to claiming Him as our Refuge. 

As we cling to His promises, He will protect us from our own sinful nature and the enemy’s schemes. By striving to be more like Him, we are free from the bondage of sin. And that gives us peace and protection that only He can give. 

To Find Our Refuge

Just like the way my uncle and grandma called to us before that approaching storm hit, Jesus calls to us and beckons us to run into His arms. But we have to make a choice—stay where we are and become ravaged by the storm or find our refuge in Him. 

I love what Psalm 62:8 says, 

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” (ESV)

And

Psalm 91:1-2:

So let me close by asking, who do you trust to be your refuge, especially when the storms of life unleash their fury?

By holding onto your faith and trusting God, He is the only refuge you will ever need. 

What about you? When was a time in your life when God was your refuge? Which Bible verses help you find your refuge in God?