God is Our Refuge

God is Our Refug

Fear; an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Over the past couple of weeks, fear has crept into our lives more and more. Fear instilled from getting sent home from college due to the pandemic of the coronavirus. Fear from watching the news and hearing statistics of positive coronavirus testers on the rise. Fear from being uncertain if the health of our own families will be able to fight back against the virus. Fear of not knowing what is coming next in our lives. Fear has come from the devil. God tells us,  “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you: I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”                                            - Isaiah 41:10 Letting go and letting God is a very difficult thing to do. We want control and we want answers. We have all been sent home from college. We are all very emotional and confused. We are sad and disappointed that we will not have our last weeks of school to enjoy with our friends and won't have the time to prepare our goodbyes with our seniors. We are all regretting how we lacked finding more time to hang out with our friends, overlooked appreciating the special parts of campus, and missed the opportunity to engage in material a little deeper. This is all gone. It was taken from us in the blink of an eye and we are uncertain about what is next for us. We do not know what is going to happen today, tomorrow, or even the next. Fear has been instilled inside of all of us and we feel scared, helpless, and alone. But this is a learning experience for all of us. God is here with us always.  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”                                           -Psalm 46:1 In this time of fear and uncertainty we are told to turn to Christ. It’s time to strengthen our bond with God. We need to focus on Christ and realize that he is the center of our lives. We need to put Him back where He belongs. This will not be easy for any of us, but together we can work with one another to continue our journey closer to God. This will teach us to never take anything for granted. To love one another unconditionally because we never know when it might be our last time with them. This will teach us to always lean on God and be with him. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go”                                         - Joshua 1:9 Dear God, I am struggling with facing the fear of the events that will come these next couple of weeks because of the disruption of normal activity due to the pandemic of the coronavirus. God, please give me the strength to find you in the midst of my uncertainties and to lean on you now and forever. Amen