Life often throws challenges at us at various times. There are however times when it feels like we are facing a barrage of problems at the same time. We literally find ourselves being pulled in different directions.
I know firsthand how this feels and it is not an enviable place to be at all. Problems do have a way of squeezing the very life out of a person. An otherwise enthusiastic person loses the zest and spark that characterize their personality. Then comes isolation and following quickly is the tendency towards depression which ultimately leads to death for the many who lose hope totally.
I recently experienced a situation where my mind was racing in all directions. I knew God would take care of the situation but somehow it looked as if the situation I faced was quite overwhelming.
In the middle of this, I opened my Bible and Psalm 46 jumped out at me, especially the verse, “Be still and know that I am God!” (verse 10)
This Psalm starts with the most encouraging and comforting words I needed in the situation I was facing, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble”
This verse reveals one basic truth. The Christian life is not a problem free life. In fact, may I go further at the risk of sounding alarmist, to say that anyone who embraces the Christian faith must be ready to accept challenges as part of the package. The good news however, is that we have God with us always. He is our refuge and our strength.
While teaching my children from this passage, I asked them what the word ‘refuge’ means. My 12-year old son responded, ‘A refuge is a place you go to when you have nowhere else to go’. That definition hit me like it never did before. God is our refuge! A safe place to go when we are in trouble!
Problems tend to rob us of our strength. When faced with a myriad of problems, it puts a strain on us physically and psychologically. In the midst of it, God is our strength. He gives us the strength to go on even when all our strength is gone.
The Psalmist not only refers to God as our refuge, he also declares that the God of Israel is our fortress. I looked up the definition of fortress and the one I liked best was this, ‘Any place of exceptional security; stronghold’. God is not just with us, he surrounds us and what a mighty fortress is our God!
Armed with the knowledge that God is with us and is our strength, we can stand with confidence and look our problems in the eye and say to them, “I am not afraid of you because I know God is with me”.
So, when the storms of life are raging and we find ourselves being pulled in many directions, remember Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God!”
Steve Popoola is the editor of Biblepraise Newsletter and the founder of the Biblepraise Fellowship Online at http://www.biblepraise.org. He lives in Kent, United Kingdom, where he works as an IT Professional. He currently serves as a Worship Leader as well as Home Group Leader in his local church and on occasion, speaks at invited events. He is the founder of the Biblepraise Fellowship Online Ministry and Moderator/Editor of the Biblepraise Newsletter. He can be reached through His email address, steve@biblepraise project management team.org
