Our True Refuge Is God 真正的避难所
Dexu Xia
He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Psalm 91:2
After his wife died, Fred felt he could endure the pain as long as he had his Monday breakfasts with his buddies. His fellow retirees lifted his spirits. Whenever sadness came, Fred would think about the next time he’d enjoy their company again. Their corner table was his safe place from grief.
Over time, however, the gatherings ended. Some friends became ill; others passed away. The emptiness led Fred to seek solace in the God he’d met in his youth. “I have breakfast by myself now,” he says, “but I remember to hold on to the truth that Jesus is with me. And when I leave the diner, I don’t leave to face the rest of my days alone.”
Like the psalmist, Fred discovered the safety and comfort of God’s presence: “He is my refuge . . . in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:2). Fred came to know safety not as a physical place to hide, but as the steadfast presence of God that we can trust and rest in (v. 1). Both Fred and the psalmist found that they didn’t have to face difficult days alone. We too can be assured of God’s protection and help. When we turn to Him in trust, He promises to respond and be with us (vv. 14-16).
Do we have a safe place, a “corner table” we go to when life is hard? It won’t last but God will. He waits for us to go to Him, our true refuge. By: Karen Huang
When life is hard, what’s your safe place? How can you turn to and trust God as your refuge?
Dear God, You’re my safe place. Yours is the presence that will never leave me to fend for myself. Your help and protection surround me always.
祂是我的避难所，是我的山寨，是我的上帝，是我所倚靠的。—诗篇91篇2节
峰德每周一都会和朋友们一起享用早餐。在妻子过世后，这段时光成为他的安慰，让他能忍受丧妻之痛。他那些退休的老朋友们帮助他振作起来，不再消沉。每当悲伤来袭，想到下周能再次享受与朋友的相聚，就让峰德的心情好转。他们聚餐的那张靠角落的桌子，成为他逃避伤痛的安全之处。
但随着时间的流逝，他们周一的早餐聚会终止了。因为朋友当中有人生病了，也有些人离世了。峰德的内心感到十分空虚，促使他向年轻时就认识的上帝寻求安慰。他说：“现在我一个人吃早餐，但我记得一个事实，那就是耶稣与我同在。当我离开餐厅时，我不再是独自面对余生。”
就像诗人一样，峰德也体会到上帝同在的平安和安慰：“祂是我的避难所，⋯⋯是我所倚靠的”（诗篇91篇2节）。峰德渐渐明白安全并不是指躲在某个地方，而是信靠上帝持续的同在，住在祂里面（1节）。诗人和峰德都发现他们不必独自面对艰苦的岁月，我们也同样能确信上帝的保护和帮助。当我们信靠祂，祂承诺会回应我们，并与我们同在（14-16节）。
我们是否也以“靠角落的桌子”做为安全之处，一遇到难处就往那里躲？但这并不会持久，上帝才是永远的安全保障。祂正等着我们归向祂，祂是我们真正的避难所。
作者： 黃嘉仁
在生活艰难时，哪里是你的安全之处？
你要如何转向上帝，相信祂才是你的避难所？
亲爱的上帝，祢就是我的安全之处。
祢与我同在，让我不必独自面对困难，祢的帮助和保护时刻环绕我。