WHEN YOU ARE STRESSED, DEPRESSED, OR AFRAID, WHERE DO YOU GO FOR RELIEF?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge
and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
(Psalm 91:2)

MEDITATION:
When the stresses of life become almost too big to handle,
where do you go for relief? When sadness overwhelms you,
where do you find comfort and consolation? When you are
down and depressed, where do you go to be lifted up and
filled with a renewed spirit? When you are afraid, were do
you go to gain courage?

Many psychiatrists say that one of the basic needs of man is security.
We all need a ‘safe haven’ we can go to when things are difficult.
The psalmist understood this and he knew he had a permanent place
to go to where he could find comfort, security and affection.
He described his ‘safe haven’ as follows:
    If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the
    Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no
    disaster will come near your tent. For he will command
    his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
    they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not
    strike your foot against a stone. (Psalm 91:9-12)

We may not visibly see angels, but nevertheless God’s promise
of security is real and certain. If it were not so, then it would not
be included in His Word of Truth.

Sometimes we can ‘feel’ the presence of angels and are reminded
of their presence through reading God’s Word, the words of a song,
the message in a sermon, or through a friend or stranger. Sometimes
we may sense their presence through an unusual calming in the midst
of a storm.

At any rate, God promises that his angels are there to
‘guard us in all our ways’. That includes keeping us on
a righteous path, so when we feel we are in a downward
spiral of sin, we need to seek God as our refuge.

ACTION:
Do you seek God as your refuge in times of trouble or despair?
What does it mean to make Him you refuge? It means you stay
in contact with Him daily and you go to Him in prayer to voice
your concerns openly, honestly and using ‘normal’ language.

Talk to God as if you are talking to a friend, which hopefully He
is to you. It is not being disrespectful to talk to Him using everyday
language. You wouldn’t say to a friend,
    “Wouldst thou cometh to my house”.
You would say something along the lines of,
    “It is great to see you, why don’t you come by for a visit”.

Also, never forget to thank Him for Who He is and the
blessings He has given you…and especially His gift of salvation.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for always being there for me.
When You seem far away, I realize that I have moved away
from You, but You have not moved away from me. Help me
to increase my fellowship with you and to discard all of the
things and attitudes that get in the way of my spending time
with You daily. Show me that anytime I justify not spending
time with You, I am allowing things of the world, or selfishness
to create a gap in our relationship. Help me to love You as much
as You love me. Thank You that You are always the same and I
can depend on You whenever I seem to be in a hopeless situation.
Thank You Jesus for going to the cross for my sins and making it
possible for me to fellowship with You and our Heavenly Father.”

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