Articles
Where is Your Safe Haven
Imagine being the most wanted person in the nation. You are running and hiding for your life as you move from one forest, town or cave to the next. The situation seems as though you will fall into the hand of your pursuer, but then you let out a big sigh of relief as he is turned away at the last moment. In 1 Samuel 20-24 of the Bible, the future King David was running and hiding for His life from the current King Saul. The random towns, caves, and forests were David’s safest escapes from Saul’s wrath, but Psalm 57 shows that he never considered them to be his true refuge. David’s trust was in the spiritual Almighty God rather than this physical world.
In Genesis 22:7-14, Abraham and his son Isaac went to a mountain to make an altar and sacrifice a burnt offering to the Lord. Normally the burnt offering consisted of sacrificing an unblemished animal, for this case though the unblemished sacrifice was to be Isaac. Abraham bound Isaac to the altar and trusted in the Lord. An angel of the Lord appeared right before the sacrifice was made and stopped the sacrifice on account of Abrham’s dedication to God. Abraham then looked to heaven with praise and a ram was presented before him to be sacrificed. God then made a promise to bless Abraham and multiply his family. After the Lord protected his son Isaac, Abraham faithfully named the place Jehovah Jireh (the Lord will provide).
Hebrews 6:13-20 explains that Abraham received his promise from God to bless and multiply his name. God showed commitment to Abraham’s offspring by making a new covenant, using His only son as the sacrifice. If we turn to God and take refuge in Him, then He will anchor our souls in hope. The Greek word for hope used in Hebrews 6 is elpizo. This word represents hope with an expected outcome. If we willingly turn to God and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior then we can expect to be provided and blessed for all eternity.
Saul’s jealousy of David seemed like a storm that would never end. If a tornado came barreling toward you over the horizon right now, would you put your trust solely in a bathroom or basement without windows? Or will you be in those places, praying to God for comfort and strength, knowing that He alone holds the power to protect His people?
