What do you do when your safe place, is no longer your safe place?

In the old testament there were cities of refuge, where people who had murdered others, without bad intent or out of an accident could go and find refuge in these specific cities from those who would try to avenge them. (Joshua 20 explains it more in detail, and there is judgement as God is just…).

Refuge: a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger or trouble. Something providing shelter.

We all seek places of refuge. Or a safe place, where we find comfort and solace from the weight of sin. Things like hurt, anger, slander, people doing wrong…are just a few things that can cause us to seek refuge.

But where are we seeking refuge?
– Buildings
– People
– Certain feelings
– Food
– Netflix/TV Shows/Movies
– Music
….

We have an enemy that pursues us, that throws danger our way. We are sinful, so we often put ourselves in danger’s way and can get ourselves in trouble without any help from others. We are constantly on the run, trying to find a place of refuge. But often where we find our refuge, especially in this world, is temporary.

I myself have found refuge in people and specific buildings. People’s refuge has always not lasted long, because it is quickly revealed that we are sinful and cannot be relied on to be a place of refuge. Buildings on the other hand, are not alive…therefore are not sinful and so the refuge that is found, can last longer. But what happens….when that refuge that was found for such a long time, has been compromised? Because buildings can fall down, and people go in and out of buildings, and buildings can become associated with hurt and people, therefore taking away your refuge.

In the psalms, David consistently talks about God being his refuge, his place of refuge. I think he was on to something.

The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. Psalm 34:22

Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; Psalm 71:3

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8
….

If we truly want to find refuge, we need to find our place of refuge, our safety in Christ. He is perfect. He is never changing, and He cannot be tainted. HE IS REDEMPTION. He is safe. So if our safe place has become compromised, then I have to ask and be challenged to move my safe place elsewhere; to a person who has never forsaken us, to a place that will never change or move, to a heart that sin has not lived in. And there is only one place, one person that can supply that kind of steadfast refuge…

Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

Sometimes God allows things to fail us, so that we can learn, and even re-learn over and over, many things. Like how sinful we are, and that He should be our place of refuge, that He is greater and how much we need Him…among many other things. We need God, more than we need people or places or feelings. We need God.