Devotionals

---

Life is hard. Disappointments leave us feeling discouraged; friends hurt and betray; loved ones become ill; and death seems to be around every corner. When these things happen, we feel lost, alone, confused, and afraid, and we wonder where the “light at the end of the tunnel” could possibly be in the mess we’re in.

Jesus never promised an easy road. In fact, He traveled the hardest road of all: ostracized by the people in His own hometown, doubted by His disciples, betrayed by one of His closest friends, sentenced to death, and hung on a cross for sins He never committed. If anything, Jesus could be the first to say that “Life’s not fair.” But never once did He complain, no matter how bleak His circumstances, and the main purpose in His life was to do the Father’s will. How often do we look out of the darkness we’re surrounded by and tell God, “Not my will, but Yours?”

Psalm 46:1 gives us hope: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Nahum 1:7 says something similar to it: “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.” The Bible is full of the word refuge. There’s something comforting about the thought of a refuge, a shelter from the storm, when life becomes too much for us to handle. God makes it very clear in His Word that He is the only true refuge we will find. Trusting in Him doesn’t mean everything will automatically right itself again, though God could certainly make this happen if He wished; in truth, God works in His own time. As humans, that could be a hard pill for us to swallow. We live in an instant world, where anything we want can be available now at our fingertips. God doesn’t work in our timeframe, however, and we have to trust that He is always in control and knows what is best for us.

When life is hard and it feels as if we’re at the end of our rope, the only place we can look to is Jesus. He knows our pain, for He went through it in His life, and He loves us with an unconditional love unknown to so many in the world. When hope seems gone, what else can we do but hide in the Rock, our Refuge, safe from the storm that rages?

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE