God Our Refuge
When the Storms of Life Overwhelm You
Are the storms in your life overwhelming you, perhaps literally? Whether the storms are literal or metaphorical, fear can flood our emotions. Lightning bolts of regret can strike us to the core. Worry can flood our minds. But God doesn’t want us to stay overwhelmed, drowning in fear, worry, and regret. That’s why He has given us His Spirit, His very presence to be with us.
Psalm 46:1 reminds us that “God is our refuge, a very present help in trouble.” Just as shelters offer a place for flood victims, God calls us to come to Him for refuge. The Hebrew word “refuge” means shelter from danger or falsehood.
The more closely we stay under God’s arms of truth, the more protected we are from the enemy’s lies. So go to Him. Shelter under the truth of His love for you.
Lord, You are a REFUGE who shelters us from Satan’s lies, worldly deceptions, and life’s storms. Remind us to not stand in the rain of discouragement, but rather shelter under You.
The Lord is always present and wants us to talk to Him through prayer. Learn to pray more purposefully through Debbie’s book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion.
Present Help
“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
What does it mean to you that God is a present help? Does it change anything? Does it mean that you don’t worry since He’s present with you and is a help? Does it mean that you’re not fearful? It made all the difference for the one who penned the words of Psalm 46:1. He continued, “Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling” (vv. 2-3).
How could he not fear? I like commentator Charles Ryrie’s explanation. “A refuge provides a shelter from danger. Strength gives us courage in danger. Very present help can have the idea of ‘well-proved help.’ God’s help is both present and proven, ready and reliable.” 1 What a gift God gives us! He’s present to help us.
Lord, I rejoice! You are my PRESENT HELP. I thank You and praise You!
If you enjoyed this content and want to watch video teachings by Debbie, consider subscribing to her YouTube channel. Go HERE and click the subscribe button to be notified of new teachings.
1 “Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update (Chicago: Moody Press, 2008).
A Symbol of Strength
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).
Why is our Lord described as the horn of salvation? Scholar Herbert Lockyer explains: “The figure of the horn is taken from those animals whose strength is in their horns. Because the horn was once the instrument of the oxen’s strength, it became the symbol of power. And our God and Savior came as a horn, or mighty instrument of salvation. In addition, when horns were fixed to an altar they became projections to which sacrifices were bound and to which those who needed protection could cling.” 1
If Jesus is your horn of salvation, then He has all the strength to keep you saved and safe. He is not like the Grecian king described as “the great horn that was broken” (Daniel 8:8, 21, 22). Nothing or no one can break our indestructible Horn.
HORN OF SALVATION, I praise You, my strength and salvation…today and for eternity.
Stay connected with Debbie beyond the blog! Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, X (Formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
1 Herbert Lockyer, All the Divine Names and Titles in the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1975), 40.