Refuge

Psalm 37:39-40 “The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”

A few minutes of media exposure and you may wonder. When did appropriateness disappear? What examples are out there for our children to emulate in the future? What is everybody fighting about? Where can we find true peace?

Somewhere along the line the “adults” have forgotten to model respectful adult behavior for the younger generation of onlookers. The next generation is imprinting on what? My husband and I have raised three children by God’s grace. We now have four granddaughters to enjoy! And, we have lived long enough to know that human reproduction is so much more than bringing new life into the world. What we pass along to our children is how the world may hope to be renewed or not renewed.

Psalm 62:7 says, “My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.” If my salvation and honor depend on Him, then surely the salvation and honor of my children and grandchildren depend on Him, too. The Lord has transferred His purposes into my heart through my faith. It is His Truth, His Person, Who removes the futility from our days and gives the next generation One to follow.

While the world is clamoring for a strong man or ideologue to clean up all the messes made, we know that the Savior has already come. We already have One Who is our mighty Rock. His intentions inform all matters, public and private. He is our refuge. He is our salvation. He is our hope of renewal.

As Jesus graciously prepared his disciples for his departure back to the Father after his soon-to-be death and resurrection, he knew they would be perplexed until sometime later and that they would be pretty shaken in the meantime. They had formed a strong bond spending time together. Even with preparation, He knew they would be taken by surprise.

This is often the earthquake that our faith encounters. Jesus is very close to us. But, then we experience a great loss. Circumstances. Horrific news. No answers. Confusion. Heavenly peace that is severely threatened. Sudden happenings. Life.

Jesus promised the disciples that he would send them the Holy Spirit and provide the kind of supernatural peace that the world would never comprehend (John 14:25-27). He also promised this Counselor (Advocate) to all believers, then and now. What I want to pass on to my descendants is just this – Him alone. I want to see Jesus Christ reproduced in them through the Holy Spirit. I want them to have the peace that doesn’t make any sense except to believers. I want them to intimately know their Heavenly Father. I want them to pour out their hearts to the Father like the children they are – giving Him their tears, questions, frustration, exhaustion, and yes, angry railings.

I want young people to open God’s Word and see a real hope and future. Turn the audiovisual devices off. Turn the “divisive” off. Turn the whiners off. Turn the bad examples off. Let the Holy Spirit invade their thinking and their souls. Let reproduction be all about Jesus, in children and their children. In me. In you. I only want the children to say to their children, “He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God…(Psalm 62:6-7).”And mean it.