O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! (Psalm 34:8 NASB)

Do you need a refuge today? A strong tower you can run into for safety? A shelter from the storm? God is all that and so much more. Let’s dig into this verse and discover its powerful truth.

I remember looking longingly at Momma’s homemade chocolate pie with the golden, fluffy merengue covering that mouth-watering chocolate goodness. But when I cut a slice and dug into it with my fork, that’s when I truly experienced the delicious flavor.

God wants us to taste and see His goodness. He doesn’t want us to be spectators. No, He wants us to immerse ourselves in Him and experience His blessings firsthand. Just like when I bit into momma’s chocolate pie.

I wish you and I were sharing a piece of that pie right now, as we study this promise. It’s not a blanket promise. It’s a promise reserved for those who take refuge in God. The phrase “take refuge” can also be translated “trust.” At first, we would agree that we trust God, but this goes deeper. It’s the kind of trust that refuses to freeze in fear. Instead, we take refuge in Him because He not only calms our fears, He fights our battles.

When worry keeps me awake, I take refuge in God, and I go back to sleep. He is the refuge I run to when I am oppressed and depressed. But many times, we only make a pitstop rather than taking refuge in Him.

When we go on vacation, we make several pitstops. We stop for gas. We stop at the rest-area. We stop for lunch. We make pitstops, but we’re not taking refuge in these places. Believe me, I never want to hang out at the rest-area.

But when we finally arrive at our destination, we make it our abode for the week. We come and go, but it’s our home away from home.

When I pray a pitstop prayer, I feel refreshed, but by the next pitstop, I am still fighting fear, worry, dread and disappointment. It’s when I take refuge in God, spend time with Him, praying throughout the day, lingering in the Word, that I can receive the blessing of this promise. The nearness of God enhances my faith. Will you commit with me to replace pitstop prayers with hanging out with God prayers? I know we both desire His blessings and HIS PROMISES. THOSE blessings will put our troubles in a different prospective as we do life with God.

Taking refuge is going to look different in each of our lives. Pray and ask God to help you make the time to take refuge rather than a pitstop.

Lord God, I come to You as my refuge both in my time of need and in my time of blessing. I want to feel Your presence. You conquered my fears, my worries, and my despair on the cross. Thank You for rescuing me from the weight of their baggage. In Jesus’ name, amen.

DIG DEEPER

Read Psalm 34:4-7.

HIKING THE TRAIL

Read the above passage. What does God and His angels deliver us from?

RELATED RESOURCE

Dive into a deeper prayer life with this devotional and study guide: Incense Rising: 60 Days to Powerful Prayer

Originally posted on February 1, 2021 @ 3:00 am