“O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.”
Jeremiah 16:19
When the world turns against us and it feels as though no one believes our report; when trouble leaves us standing alone, with family and friends acting as though we no longer exist; when every knowledge, tactic, and wisdom we know has failed—there is still one place left to turn. It is the place of refuge, the secret place of the Most High (Psalm 91:1).
In God’s presence, we find the confidence to pour out our worries and share even the deepest matters of our hearts—things too sensitive to entrust to human hands for fear of betrayal. With God, we are safe, not only because our lives are preserved, but because our future is secured in Him.
Imagine the freedom of being yourself without fear—no pressure to impress, no anxiety about offending others by your smile, appearance, or expression. In God’s presence, strangers become welcome guests, treated like friends, just as Jesus would gladly dine with them (Revelation 3:20).
Charge: Truly, there is no lasting comfort outside the feet of the cross. Men may fail to meet expectations, but God never does.
Further Study: 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 12:5, 18:2, 46:1, 61:3, 91:1-2; Proverbs 18:10, 21:31; Isaiah 26:3-4, 32:2; Nahum 1:7.
