Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Have you ever had a time in your life where you felt like God was distant? I mean, like He's really far away? The most interesting part about this thought is it always seems that way when we're really going through things. Like when I'm struggling, like when my business is struggling, my family is hurting, my finances are suffering.
It's easy to wonder, God, where are you? Why would you leave me in this place to suffer in this way? If you've ever felt like this, as I have in my own spiritual walking journey, that's precisely why today's Verse of the Day is so pertinent.
It's Nahum chapter 1, verse 7. It says, "The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him."
He Is Close and He Is Strong
The overwhelming thought I have in my heart for you, if you've ever felt any of those prior sentiments is: He is close and He is strong and He is good. He is our refuge.
For me, having lived in Oklahoma City for nearly 20 years, in the heart of Tornado Alley, I can't tell you how many times personally I went through the fear and the chaos of the storms of life. I'm not talking about those spiritual storms of the enemy's attacks. I'm talking literal, physical, huge, ginormous tornadoes. They created so much pain, so much scarcity, even with the faith that we have.
My family decided no more. After nearly 20 years, we're getting away from Tornado Alley. We are moving away. That's precisely what we did, so that we would never have to go through that again.
There Will Always Be Storms
But guess what? As long as you live on planet Earth, there will always be storms. I'm not talking about physical now. I'm talking about spiritual. We found ourselves in our new home. Not even two months there, and sirens started going off and we were like, wait, I know that's not what we think it is.
Out of fear, we turn on the news. Lo and behold, there is a massive twister and it's headed right for us. The first thought we had was fear. However—God is good, and He provides.
In this new place that we live, they had a community shelter that was incredibly strong, strong enough for a literal nuclear bomb to keep you safe. We went to the shelter. The tornado literally comes right down our alley, passes over, and we step outside, and the sun began to shine again. We were safe because we had a shelter.
God Is Your Refuge
I want you to know something: in this life, yes, the storms may come. Yes, you might struggle. You might suffer. You might hurt. You might have made destructive decisions in your past.
But Nahum is incredible—whose name literally means "comforter." The children in that time were going through something so complex they literally were suffering. He wanted to remind them that, hey, in the midst of your suffering, God is good. God is strong and He is your refuge.
I take this personally. He tells me God is my refuge because just like that physical shelter that kept my family safe, no matter what I face, no matter what my family faces, I can take comfort in knowing that we are safe because God is strong and He is protecting me.
Guess what? The same God is protecting you. Don't let fear overwhelm you. Don't let the adversary confuse you with lies and make you feel as if this isn't all going to work out on your behalf. Because Nahum reminds us it is.
You Can Trust in the Lord
You can trust in the Lord. He is strong, He is good, and He is your refuge.
