Refuge

This has been a week of thunderstorms and downpours, the first in many months in our area. Strangely, the worst of it always seems to come at night. Now, we have a rather old roof which is long overdue for replacement. Nonetheless, it still keeps the rain out and my dear wife and I love to lie in bed and listen to the rain pounding on the shingles above us. A few nights ago I was reminded of a particularly intense storm years past which had the whole family out of bed in the middle of the night watching the lightning together. Before the kids finally went back to bed we had some great conversations and one of them led to the metaphor of how God protects us from the storms of life, much like the roof on our home does. After everyone else had long since gone back to sleep I sat up and listened to the storm, eventually penning the following poem I share with you herein. The message for today, then, is that the storms in life generally can’t be prevented or avoided. However, God can be a roof and shield who protects us from the fury of the elements we encounter. Will there still be danger, and pain and suffering and even death? Yes, but God can keep those things from destroying us. He can even use them to work for good in our lives and often offer us an eternal perspective which helps the faithful to make sense of the storms raging around them. The rain will certainly fall and the wind will certainly blow for that is the nature of our existence. Yet, those who learn to trust in God have a refuge from the storm, a shelter and a fortress about them in times of trouble. My prayer today is that you may have the roof of God’s grace over your own life. It is freely available to any who will but ask Christ into their hearts and receive the grace which He so freely offers. Don’t get left out in the rain.

Refuge
Tonight the rain is beating
On the roof above my head
Until it's pounding leaves me wide awake
And awestruck in my bed
Then comes a wind and hail and howling
Such as I never can recall
But our little house is snug and warm
Protecting me from every squall
No matter how the torrents tumble
From the dark and stormy sky
The roof above withstands their force
And I stay warm and dry
So I find it with the grace of God
Which protects me from the night
And even through the darkest storm
Comforts me with holy light
Like the roof which shield me now
God's grace is over me
A barrier of truth and love
Built upon His sovereignty
No storm may come against me
That He cannot see me through
Though wood and stone surround me
How much more my God can do
So when the rain is falling
Though it chills me to the bone
I can resolutely stand my ground
For I do not stand alone
I stand with grace before me
And above me, I am bold
Secure that I'll not be abandoned
Or be left out in the cold
In grace I have a refuge
Even from the fiercest storm
God enfolds me in His loving arms
As He keeps me safe and warm
So as I lie here in the darkness
I know that I have naught to fear
For this roof and grace are over me
And my God is very near
By Frank Carpenter ©