God Is Our Refuge

God Is Our Refuge "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1 Recently, I had the privilege of hearing one of my favorite hymns, that I had not heard for many years, as most churches have replaced the old time hymns for more modern music. The story behind this favorite hymn was that a young Irishman named Joseph Scriven (1820-1886), was deeply in love with a young woman, and they had made plans to be married. The night before their wedding, however, she drowned in a tragic accident. For months Joseph was bitter, in utter despair. He did not know how to handle the loss of his bride to be, and became depressed, with no peace in his life. After months of living with no hope, peace or comfort, he turned to Christ, and through His grace, again found peace and comfort, and a reason for living. Out of this experience he wrote the familiar hymn that has brought consolation to millions of aching hearts. "What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and grief's to bear." Sometimes our way to finding peace and comfort during the tragedies of life is to turn to God, as He is the only one that can give us lasting peace. This is the way it was for Joseph and the loss he was dealing with. But like him, we may also find that our paths sometimes lead through the dark shadows of life, the loss we face when our loved ones pass away, the disappointments we face when we lose our jobs, when our relationships go sour, when financial pressures begin to take its toll on our peace and joy. But like Joseph, we can find that God is our friend, and we can go to Him during these times, and turn our sorrows into blessings. These times can make us less attached to the things of this earth, and more attached to God, and the eternal future that only He can provide. Then more than ever we discover that Jesus truly is our friend. "All our sins and grief's to bear." Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven​ March 29