There Is A Perfect Refuge
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles, uncategorizedIn the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of the southern United States in August of 2005, displaced families and individuals were often referred to in the media as “refugees.”
For some, this term was viewed as insulting, so it prompted reporters to scramble for another word that would not be perceived as negative. They decided on the word “evacuees.”
However, the word refugee is a positive word filled with hope. The American Heritage dictionary defines it as “one who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution.”
Refugee comes from the word refuge, which speaks of safety, protection, and care for those who need help. It speaks of a safe haven in a storm-filled world.
For those who have been battered by the storms, tragedies, and disasters of life, refuge is what folks long for the most. God alone can give us that perfect refuge — longing to cover us, protect us, and preserve us (Psalm 91:4; Psalm 115:11; Psalm 121:7) .
Jesus spoke to the Jewish people of His day and lovingly said:
“How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Matthew 23:37).
Today, He continues to offer the perfect refuge for our hurting souls, if we will but seek His care and obey His will (Matthew 6:33; Matthew 7:21).
“There is a place of refuge For every troubled soul
Where tempests beat no longer, Where billows cease to roll;
A calm and quiet haven, A harbor safe and blest,
Where storm-tossed barques may anchor, Where weary hearts may rest. Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.“