"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:9 I've found this to be a recurring theme throughout the Bible, especially Psalms, and I am realizing why. So many times in the last year, I have found myself at the end of my rope - ready to just flop on my bed, cry, and quit - but then God will drop little things like this my way. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1 Even in my darkest and hardest moments, when I can't see any way out, I can hold onto that promise. Even when I can't feel Him, I know that He really is my ever-present helper. He never leaves me. In fact, it's in those times that I grow the most. "For in the day of trouble, He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock." Psalm 27:5 Up high where no one can reach me: that's where I so often want to be. Even when it is impossible to have privacy or quiet in my moments of wanting to just melt down, I always know where to run. As soon as I turn to Him, it doesn't matter how bad it is. It doesn't matter how much I want to scream and cry. He is always there to catch me and to hold me close. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 It's in those moments where I don't have anything else to hold onto that I feel His comfort. It's when I'm alone that I can feel Him with me. In that moment where I could so easy give up and run away, He comes in and gives me strength and holds me up. He alone is good enough to continually lift me up and set my feet back on the rock. "Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord," Psalm 130:1 Oh, how often I have found myself empathizing with the Psalmists. No, my life is not at actual peril, but the prayers of my heart often find solace in the words of others who have also cried out to Him for help. And I know why. "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him," Nahum 1:7 He really is faithful. He really is good. It's easy to say those things day to day as I go through life, but it's amazing how magnified His grace has been in my life in those moments of desperation. When I literally have nowhere else to go, those open arms of help are like an oasis in a never ending desert. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution...?" Romans 8:35 No! "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 What a comforting reality we live in. Time and time again, it doesn't matter what it is I face, He is always right here for me. His love is always enough to save me in any time of trouble or distress. He has proven His faithfulness over and over again and I am so blessed to feel His presence with me and to hear His words spoken either directly to my heart or through the beautiful words of scripture. How truly blessed I am!!!
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ErikaJeremiah 29:11 Archives
March 2023
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