God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 (NIV)
This reflection is reaching you a little later than our usual 7:00 AM rhythm today. My apologies. The day moved quickly, but perhaps there is something fitting about receiving this word in the middle of an already busy Monday.
Psalm 46 begins with a truth we often need most when life feels unsettled:days.
A refuge is more than a place to visit. It is where you run when the storm becomes stronger than you are. And the good news is that, this refuge is closer to you than your best and closest friend and you do not need to take a trip to access it.
Some weeks begin quietly. Others arrive carrying responsibilities, unexpected news, difficult conversations, fatigue, or questions we cannot answer. In those moments, our instinct is often to find something we can control.
But the Scripture points us somewhere better.
It points us to Someone.
God does not promise that trouble will never come. He promises to be “an ever-present help” in the middle of it.
That means His presence is not reserved for peaceful moments. He is present in the meeting you are anxious about, the family concern weighing on you, the decision you cannot yet make, and the place where you feel you have reached the end of your own strength.
So, none of us have to carry everything before we can come to Him. The reason He invites us to come is because we cannot carry everything by ourselves.
This Week
When life begins to feel louder than your faith, return to this simple confession:
God is here with me. God is my refuge. God is my strength.
It is a confession that is true enough to steady the soul for the next faithful step. here, with you.
A thought to carry this week
God’s peace does not always come because the storm has stopped. It comes because we have remembered where our refuge is.
Prayer
Lord, when life feels uncertain, teach me to run toward You. I confess that Your are my Refuge when I feel overwhelmed and my Strength when I feel weak. Help me to live this week with a deep awareness that You are near and that I do not face anything alone in Jesus’ name. Amen!
I call you blessed.
Rev. Dr. Jemiriye Fakunle
Pastor, New Bethel United Methodist Church
To Know Him, To Make Him known