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found refuge and in the arms of God through trusting in him . Trust becomes the first stepping stone of beginning this lifelong journey with God . We must be confident that God will conceal us in the tab- ernacle of His presence . Proverbs 14:26 teaches us that we take refuge in God by putting our confidence in him, by kneeling in His presence yet while saying, “It’s tough, it’s heart- breaking, I trust in you” . How do I make Him my refuge? Having a ref- uge in God is to know we have Him as our recourse in difficulty . Trust- ing God and receiving His peace is the first step of that recourse .
Along with my trust in God, am I the shelter that people can run to without their being apprehensive of trusting me as a human being? Do I also neglect those neglected by eve- ryone? Instead, let us take shelter in God’s love and build stations of shel- ter for each other, safeguarding their needs and rights, speaking up for them, living with a heart for others .
Perhaps, if you and I would genu- inely “live out” laying down our lives for others, other than merely “read- ing it out aloud,” we could ease so much pain around us, that right now we only wish to be erased out . Let us not devoid ourselves of the respon- sibilities entrusted us by God . Our hands need an engagement with our hearts in compassion too .
We are urged to flee to God and take hold of the hope within . Take
hold of the harness of Christ and together we can hold on to life . The social distress, the political blas- phemy, the economic disparity, all touting of desolation would be pre- served in his timing and justice will be served .
Until then, when life gets too dark, a nail-pierced hand of hope will always be stretched forth to hold you tight . After a long, tire- some day, we all long to reach home . Home is where our heart finds its deepest solace after racing between the moorings and tidings of life .
Home is who Jesus promises to be . His love, pure, just and above reproach is the safest place of shel- ter . We have a shoulder to lay our weary heads on . He is the sanctu- ary of sacredness, his everlasting arms are the ultimate shelter when all shelters of safety and judgment have been tattered . We find all we need in Him .
The symphony of our groaning for a place of shelter have a com- panion and aid in the very certain and concrete melody of the joy of the Holy Spirit . His love is a safe place of shelter . n
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