Psalm 91
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91 (NIV)
Have you ever been alone? I mean truly alone. With no one to talk to or confide in. No one that can listen. No one is looking out for you. No one who cares.
On top of that, when people are in this position, they almost always have something they need to talk about or circumstances that are dire. They are in need and need someone to help. It is an awful position to be in and most that are there now or have been there are scared to death. There doesn’t appear to be a path forward and there is no hope of anything better.
How do I know this? I have been there. I know what it feels like to have no hope and see no future.
What I failed to see, however, was that the Holy Spirit was at work around me. I didn’t realize it, but others were praying for me and walking with me during the dark periods of my difficult years. There was someone that cared.
In my case, the Holy Spirit guided me back to Lincoln and to Southwood, the place of refuge that God provided, surrounding me with love and hope. And surrounding me with people that cared. They walked with me and helped me through the dark and messy parts of my life. I was no longer alone.
A place of refuge can certainly mean different things to each of us. It can be a physical place, or it can be the people that surround us. My place of refuge was (and is still) Southwood, and my brothers and sisters here. While things in my life are much better now, I choose to serve God by giving back and being there to walk with others who may be alone or are going through a difficult time in life. The Holy Spirit has put opportunities in front of me to make a difference; opportunities that hopefully will make Southwood a refuge for others in need. And those opportunities don’t just exist for me. They exist for all of us.
We never know when an opportunity will be there to be one of those walking with a brother or sister in need or be the one that helps provide a place of refuge. I hope that when that opportunity arises or when the Holy Spirit nudges you, that you will respond. It may not be an easy walk and could easily be uncomfortable or messy and appear to ask more of us than we are willing to give. But I hope that you take that leap of faith. It will make a difference in someone’s life. A bigger difference than you will ever know. They will no longer be alone.
I am living proof of that.
Thanks be to God.
Questions for Reflection:
- Have you ever truly been alone?
- If so, what was that like? How did you feel?
- Did someone walk with you? Did it help?
- Did you have a place of refuge?
- Have you been there for others as a result?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, please help us to look to you for the guidance, inspiration, love and hope that we seek. Help us as well to truly appreciate your gifts of love, grace and your Son Jesus. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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