Refuge & Strength

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” —Psalms 46:1

Suffering, strife, and chaos are always present somewhere in the world. For better or worse, the internet age has brought the horrors of evil closer than we could have imagined. The weight of such pain bears down on our souls to the degree that we can become numb to the continuous feed of negativity around us. Our desensitized souls wake up when the crisis hits close to home, and we suddenly snap into reality.

When disaster strikes in our neighborhood, we are inspired to move into action. When our friends walk through a trial, we are gripped with empathy and compassion for their suffering. When we see injustice, we become filled with a passion to right the wrongs.

A natural disaster, a crime, wars, and political turmoil just in our immediate world can demand all of our attention. Even the most minor tragedy can consume our lives. Sometimes rightfully so, as we process the grief of loss or yield to the call to contend for justice. Sometimes, the pain becomes a festering wound in our hearts, and healing is the only path forward.

Even so, no human was created to bear the burden of every tragedy. We simply don’t have the capacity to carry so much suffering and despair. No person could sit under the weight of evil and trouble in the world. I’m convinced that the epidemic of youth despair partially comes from premature exposure to the incomprehensible volume of suffering and injustice in our world. Even one story of depravity is hard to swallow; what do we do when the well of wrongdoing seems endlessly deep?

There is only one who can bear this incredible burden. Christ Jesus not only suffered the grief of knowing the full measure of humanity’s brokenness and wickedness, he bore the penalty for our sins. He both knew and carried every human wrong in his body on the cross.

Such love.

Christ took it all. All that had happened and all that was to come. Even to this very moment, God is our refuge in every struggle. He is ever-present in our needs.

God loves us enough to continually endure the knowledge of our suffering. He never grows weary of entering into our pain and standing with us. Truly, in every moment of abject evil humanity has suffered, even this past week, God was there as an ever-present help.

Some events in the rise and fall of history bring us closer to the moment of need, and others lull us into a false sense of security, but God always remains faithful to his word—he will be present in our trouble.

When trouble comes, God is near.

God, I thank you for being always present in my need. I recognize that you have walked with your people through more suffering than I can imagine, and you continue to show your love. You continue to offer the strength of your presence. Come near to me in my time of need. Come to the help of all who need a refuge in this hour. You are God our helper. Amen.