“God is our refuge and power, a help in afflictions that severely befall us…Be still and know that I am God…God is a refuge for His people against everything actual or imagined.” (Psalms 45:1, 11 LXX or Psalms 46:1, 10, Foundation Study Bible, Psalms 46:2)
“Each of us needs such a place of refuge, a place where we can be alone with God...It is there that my heart is the most open to the voice of God speaking to me…Solitude is a refuge where individual and, consequently, communal well-being is restored.” (Abbot Tryphon, Marlena Graves)
“Once we begin to flee the things that threaten and burden us, there is no end to fleeing. God’s solution is surprising. He offers rest. But it’s a unique form of rest. It’s to rest in Him in the midst of our threats and our burdens. It’s discovering, as David did in seasons of distress, that God is our rock and refuge right in the thick of our situation.” (Mark Buchanan)
“God knows that life can throw us up against a wall with no options and that the pain can be intense. But He stands vigil over us like a pillar of cloud and fire. We are beautiful to Him, and His eye is continually upon us. He will be our strength and refuge while we wait in the dark...If our God is refuge, let us turn our hearts to Him. He will guide our thoughts, words, and deeds.” (Angela Thomas, OCPM 10/7/2016)
“It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice…I will invite God to be the God of my circumstances.” (Max Lucado)