Psalm 9:7-10
God holds the high center, he sees and sets the world's mess right. He decides what is right for us earthlings, gives people their just deserts.
God's a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you're never sorry you knocked.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Think about a really stressful time in your life… where was your sanctuary? Where did you go to “let your hair down” and relax… what gave you comfort? When I was a little girl, my “sanctuary” was a mossy creek bank across the road from my grandparents’ farm. I still can “channel” the sound of the wind in the pines and feel the softness of that damp moss beneath me… and instantly, I feel calmer. If you are like me, you have dreamed of falling into your cozy bed and getting a good long nap or a night’s rest. Last Christmas Eve, when I was at my wits’ end with the care of my grandmother in the Emergency Room, I even found refuge in the hospital chapel. In that moment, God’s “house” was where I discovered a “safe-house” for my battered nerves!
Surely you have your own list of sanctuaries… places where you feel you can relax during bad times… where you are never sorry you knocked. But what if none of those physical refuges is available? What are you supposed to do then?
As wonderful and comforting as physical safe havens can be, I believe that we truly arrive as Christians when we can “center” ourselves in God any place… at any time. When we stop and focus on Him, we see that He is at work setting the world’s mess right, no matter where we are. I was talking with a friend recently and commented that I had a running joke with someone else that… “If God can fix this, He can fix anything.” My friend quickly retorted… “God CAN fix anything!” And he’s exactly right… but often we have not given Him room to do this!
Today, I want you to take a deep breath… or two or three. Relax and open your heart to God. Allow Him to come in and handle the messes of your day and give you sanctuary, wherever you may be. Learn to find refuge in Him while sitting in traffic, handling the latest crisis of the moment, or struggling with the worries of your day. Nothing is too big for God to handle… and there is no safer place than in His arms. When was the last time you knocked at His “safe-house?” Isn’t this a good time to visit?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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