“32For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? 33This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless. 31This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” – 2 Samuel 22:32-33 & 31 (ESV)
Refuge: (noun) shelter or protection from danger or distress; a place that provides shelter or protection; something to which one has recourse in difficulty (Merriam-Webster Online)
You see the verses and definition I have stated above. There is not really that much to unpack to me, although I will say that I took some time thinking, searching, and studying to determine what it all meant to me. I believe that the definition of “refuge” is what really helped me to understand for myself, especially the third part that indicates the “recourse in difficulty”.
I have, currently, and will have difficult times in my life. During those times I have, do, and will be looking for help in dealing with them. As a proud human man, I have a tendency to do things on my own (most of us have heard of the men that refuse to ask for directions). What I have found is that in those times when I am “on my own” the times seem to be even more difficult and the solutions seem to take forever. But, when I finally or make it a point to lean on God for help, everything falls into the place He would have them be in pretty short order.
Now I want to be clear, just as I have before. This leaning on God for help is not to just tell Him what we want and then walk away expecting it to happen. We still have a responsibility to take action based on the path He has for us. We should be allowing Him to “help” us as we work to find resolution. Where we find ourselves weak, He will provide the strength. Where we find walls, He will work to break them down or provide the path around them. Where we find resistance, He will provide the words and actions to soften it.
God is the strength we need in those difficult situations. He gives us the protection and tools to overcome the difficulty that pops up in this world as we do His will and follow the path He has for us.
When you are out there in the world, where are you drawing your strength to carry on? Are you doing your best to “do it yourself”? What if you were to rely on God to provide the strong guidance and break down the obstacles for you as you progress doing His will?
Trevor's Thoughts 