God, Our Trustworthy Refuge
One of my daughter’s most vivid childhood memories is the day her dad taught her to ride a bike without training wheels. At one point in their outing, my husband balanced his feet on the hubs of her rear wheel (while she kept hers on the pedals and they shared the handlebars) so they could coast down a small, gently sloping section together. She remembers her dad laughing with joy—a sharp contrast to her own fearful experience of the moment. The ride was so short that the entire episode happened too quickly for him to stop and empathize with her. As they reminisce about the incident today, my husband’s gentle response to her recollection is to reassure her that he knew everything would be okay.
Their story is an apt metaphor for the moments when we too experience fear in life. The “hills” might look big and scary from our vantage point, and the risk of being hurt can seem very real. Yet Scripture assures us that because “the Lord is with [us],” we don’t need to “be afraid” (Psalm 118:6). Though human help may fail us, He’s a trustworthy refuge when we feel overwhelmed by our struggles (vv. 8-9).
God is our “helper” (v. 7), which means we can trust Him to care for us during life’s most trying and fearful moments. Despite any falls, scars, and pain we might endure, His saving presence is our “strength” and “defense” (v. 14).
By Kirsten Holmberg - Bread Ministries
Psalms 118:5-14
5When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
he brought me into a spacious place.
6The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
7The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies.
8It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in humans.
9It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
10All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
11They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
12They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
13I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the Lord helped me.
14The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
