Psalm 46:1-3 – God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

These are without a doubt, some of the most comforting words from Scripture I know by heart. Through all situations, I have only to rest on God for my strength.

With my husband’s employment, we moved frequently. When our children were little, I dreaded those times. We often spent weeks in temporary accommodation and waiting for our personal belongings to arrive. During those transition times, it was characteristic of the Department of Defence to send him away on a course.

During one of these relocations, which was a few hundred miles from our nearest extended family, our son became constantly ill with serious allergies. Three weeks into the hotel stay I had to ask the cleaning staff not to use chemicals in our rooms unless I could plan time to be out of the room and have it aired before we returned.  Our son was just over eighteen months old at the time and his sister was three and a half. Their ages alone meant around-the-clock care, but the youngest slept very little. He had about two hours after his midday meal which gave me some grace and much-needed rest. His sister was usually dozing too or looking through a favourite picture book.

New states, new towns, and new experiences were always daunting, and settling into a new normal day-to-day life in these situations proved to be often stressful and lonely. But I remember these verses from Psalm 46 as my source of comfort. I don’t believe it was a coincidence that these verses appeared so often during my daily devotions. They became my key verses and since that particular relocation, they have become part of me through many other situations over the years.

We all need words of comfort at one time or another and we can be assured that God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Thank you, Lord, for your comfort in every situation. Help us to know that you are our refuge and strength and guide us through difficult times, fear, and loneliness. Whatever we face in our day-to-day lives, teach us to lean on you for all our needs. Amen

 
© Chrissy Siggee 2012

Scripture Verses used are from the New King James Version of the Bible

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