Refuge

God is eternal. There was never a time when he wasn’t; there will never be a time when he ceases to exist. He has neither a beginning nor an end.

Sometimes, all we can do is hold on. One doctor’s visit leaves our minds spinning. One phone call changes the course of our days. One text leaves our hearts heavy. These are not the times when we feel like considering the five possible interpretations of a difficult passage. We may not be up for reading a book about the theology and practice of prayer. Sometimes, all we can do is cling.

Spiritually exhausted? Feel like you are chasing your tail? Busy, running hard, but getting nowhere fast? Could it be that you’re spent from running hard after the wrong things? Could it be that you are living your life for yourself? Could it be that your spiritual exhaustion is caused by the inward battle between your will and what God wills for you?

It is not a matter of “if I am ever afraid” but “when.” Note the first five words of today’s passage. David, the man after God’s own heart, was afraid. This psalm was written when the Philistines had overtaken him in Gath—captured by the Philistines. Now, that would strike fear in the heart of any person.

Don’t gently carry them over and lay them down. Rear back and heave them like a fisherman throwing a big net into the sea. In fact, do this: write down your cares—your fears, anxiety, dread, doubts, turmoil, or worry—on a sheet of paper. Put it in a bag. Go to your church and lay the bag at the foot of the cross.

Sometimes, we experience an earthquake of the soul. Our world is shaken by the surges of uninvited waters. Waves of chaos pound our confused hearts. Yet when these inevitable times come, we can stand strong. Here’s what the psalmist wrote:

Broken hearts come in many forms. Some are caused by sixth-grade breakups, others by a spouse walking out after twenty-five years. Some come from the rejection of a dear friend, others by reckless words that pierce like a sword. Broken hearts also come from job loss, illness, loneliness, the death of loved ones, or the death of a dream.

When uncertainty comes, and it will, this psalm gives us three truths that we can drive like stakes into the ground to keep us steady. Let’s consider each truth-stake.

In the English language, “hope” is kind of a fuzzy word. It describes a wish or desire that something will happen or turn out a certain way. We might hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow, but tomorrow brings a downpour. In our language, hope has no guarantees.