Nahum 1:7: “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.”

As I write this, several friends are going through troubling times. Some of them are facing physical troubles, while others are facing spiritual attacks. Either way, it is a troubling and stressful time. Sometimes the devil tries to convince us that no one cares, not even God.

The word “refuge” is found 46 times in the Bible. A few speak of the “cities of refuge,” but most say the same thing Nahum said: “God is our refuge in time of trouble.” Interestingly, the word refuge is only found once in the New Testament. Hebrews 6:18-19 says, “It is impossible for God to lie, we have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast.”

In John chapter 16, as Jesus neared the end of His earthly ministry, He told His disciples what they could expect if they followed Him. Some of it was not pleasant to hear. But He summed it up in verse 33. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me, you might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”