A Refuge You Can Count On

Y'all ever get caught in one of those storms that just happen on the Palmetto?

You know what I'm talking about – where a mini-hurricane suddenly drops on your windshield, and your wipers going full speed don't help at all? You can't see the lines on the road, people are still zooming by at 70 mph, and you're just hanging onto the steering wheel thinking, "I just need to get home before I hydroplane or these crazy drivers crash into me!"

Doesn't that sound like our lives sometimes?

We get caught in these mini-hurricanes of trouble. Life feels like a downpour of adversity beating down on the windshield of our souls. Our normal coping strategies – our windshield wipers – don't work, and everything feels like it's spinning out of control. In those moments, we desperately need a place of refuge.

Maybe for you it's joblessness. Or illness. Or watching your savings account dwindle. Maybe it's shame over something you did. Or maybe it's just that tough conversation you're dreading or that exam you're worried about.

If this sounds familiar, where do you turn for safety? Where do you find comfort? In complaining? In being Mr. Fix-it? In obsessively checking your emergency fund?

If you're looking for a genuine refuge, Psalm 27 offers us this truth: Jesus is an unfailing refuge. All other shelters are just illusions of safety, but Jesus is a refuge you can count on.

From this psalm, we learn four ways to respond when life's storms hit:

1. Trust Confidently

David, facing his own storms with enemies pursuing him, doesn't build himself up with self-affirmations. Instead, he declares:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)

Notice those three "my's" - this is personal. David could have found confidence in his warriors, his past accomplishments, or his own abilities. Instead, he puts his confidence in the Lord alone.

When adversaries come against him (v.2-3), David remains confident because he knows his enemies are nothing compared to his God. They stumble like cartoon minions before the almighty power of God!

Our confidence isn't in our wisdom, our strategies, our resumes, or our abilities. As David says elsewhere, "For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. But you have saved us from our foes" (Psalm 44:6-7).

Moms dealing with sick kids, dads worried about housing in this market, job-seekers facing rejection - Jesus is the mighty fortress who holds weak and fragile people like us when we can't hold on ourselves.

2. Dwell Securely

With adversity hunting him, David has one supreme desire:

"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple." (Psalm 27:4)

David doesn't escape into distractions or self-medication. He hunts after God's presence. He doesn't just visit for a quick solution; he wants to set up permanent residence there.

His motivation isn't to get wisdom and leave or to see if "this God thing" will work out. It's simply to gaze upon God's beauty. Instead of dwelling on his fearful situation, he chooses to dwell on the beauty of his refuge.

In verses 5-6, David describes the security he finds:

"For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock."

No job, no relationship, no financial plan can provide this kind of security. And the good news is: we don't have to travel to a temple to find God's presence. Through Jesus, God now dwells with us and in us. What David longed for, we've received – the constant presence of God.

3. Cry Boldly

In verses 7-12, David cries boldly for relief:

"Hear me when I call, O Lord; be gracious to me and answer me... Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger."

David issues multiple imperatives to God! This isn't disrespectful – it's faith in action. When facing adversity, David doesn't gossip, fight back, or post passive-aggressive comments. He takes his complaints directly to God.

He gets honest with God about how he feels. And he's bold in asking for grace – God's kindness to undeserving sinners. He doesn't appeal based on his own goodness but on God's character as the helper of the helpless, the one who "takes in" those who've been forsaken (v.10).

This is good news for us. Jesus knows what it's like to face homelessness, abandonment, temptation, and grief. He can handle your raw, honest laments. He's not like friends who don't text back or parents who dismiss your feelings. He's present, compassionate, and unchanging.

4. Wait Expectantly

After pouring out his heart, David reminds himself:

"I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" (Psalm 27:13-14)

David guards himself from panic and taking matters into his own hands. He reminds himself to wait, to be strong, to take courage. Through the downpour, he sees a glimpse of hope on the shore – the certainty that God's goodness will break through.

And God's goodness did come – not as people expected, but in the person of Jesus. He didn't arrive with royal fanfare but as a humble carpenter who died on a cross. And when all seemed lost, God raised Him from the dead! That's what God's goodness looks like – unexpected but perfect.

Many of us are waiting – for healing, for a job, for relationship restoration, for freedom from that persistent sin or anxiety. The Lord's goodness may not match our expectations. His rescue mission might involve withholding what we think we need to free us from our idols of control and comfort.

But you can wait with confident expectation that you'll see His goodness even in your trouble. The dark suffering of this world didn't stop God from sending His beloved Son for you.

So wait expectantly. Go to Scripture in prayer, expecting God to meet you. Lay your fears before Him, expecting comfort. Reach out to a friend, expecting God to work through them. You can expect Him to work even your adversity for your good.

An Unfailing Refuge

In life's storms, Jesus is our unfailing refuge. We can:

• Trust Him confidently

• Dwell with Him securely

• Cry to Him boldly

• Wait for Him expectantly

I won't promise you'll get everything you want or that troubles will disappear. But there is a day coming when God will dwell with us and all things will be made right. As Revelation promises, the Lamb "will shelter them with his presence... and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Until then, don't panic – breathe deeply and take refuge in Jesus, who will never fail you.

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Visit Palm Vista Community Church to learn more about finding refuge in Christ during life's challenging seasons.