“God, you’re my refuge. I trust in you and I’m safe!” Psalm 91.2
Carli and Whitney’s favorite song right now is “Refuge” on a Vineyard album. Carli plays the piano to accompany the CD, Whitney sings, dances and plays air guitar. They have about 90% of the song down pat and want 100%! They like everything about the song; music, beat, instruments, lyrics, and the combinations. The song seems to capture everything they want to say.
Are Carli and Whitney wise beyond their years? How can I tell them life will not always be so simple? Is it right to be bluntly honest about the facts of life that will drive them back to this song when they are older? Everywhere I look, life is hitting people in ways that are tough, cruel, and unfair. Life is hard. Life is a bitch. Is this a true picture of reality? If so, what can one do about it?
I can easily list problems that are hitting people I know. I can easily list problems of people in Turkey dealing with earthquakes, India poverty, Africa AIDS, and Western countries the lack of God. Lists are easy to compile, but they do not tell the whole story. Behind each list are individuals. Individuals are facing tough decisions with a distinct lack of hope for the future. People carry personal burdens of incredible pain without any light forward.
There is only one solution, God. There is only one hope, God. There is only one light, God.
God is not the source of earthquakes, poverty, or AIDS. God is the answer to each problem we face. The Psalmist got it right, God is a refuge! We trust; we are safe!
These words are just words until you experience God. God calls us special, his friend, and his beloved. God loves us without condition knowing we are incredibly self-centered. God has a plan that involves us coming to live with him for eternity! God’s plan is certain but we must wait for a short while.
Hold on to God, he is hope!
