... and the God of Jacob is our refuge - think of that!
Psalm 46 this morning - a difficult service for many, for loads of reasons... but what struck me from what Paul was saying, was just how awesome and powerful God is. No matter what life throws at us; no matter that what we thought was solid and secure may be crumbling beneath our feet; no matter that the waves are washing us off the boat - the God of Jacob is our refuge, our strength, our safety - The Lord who made the heavens keeps us safe - truly amazing when you really think about it!
Paul explained that not only is a fortress a place of safety and of strength - but it also is a place of life - I'd never thought about it before, but every castle has a well or supply of water - to sustain those inside during times of trouble - and it is God, our fortress, who sustains us and gives us life - Revelation 21 says: 'To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life'.
I was also reminded this morning of what we learned on Wednesday at re:fuel - Paul was talking then about trials and suffering, based around James 1 - that trials are universal, trials are useful (producing perseverence and maturity), and trials are to be understood from God's persepective (His ways and thoughts are not ours). The peom Paul read out at the end sums it all up brilliantly I think:
God gives us...
enought tears to keep us tender,
enought hurts to keep us human,
enough of failure to keep our hands clenched tightly in His,
and enough of success to make us sure we walk with Him.
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