It's good to think more deeply about the mercies of God in times of crisis. To help guide us in this effort, we'll consider Paul David Tripp's collection of meditations from Psalm 27 called "A Shelter in the Time of Storm." You can get your own copy on Amazon here.

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:16b

This meditation is about the dangers present in our world. Perhaps not the dangers you'd first think about, but significant dangers nonetheless.

The first Tripp points out is the danger of being sinned against. People, actively and passively, sin against us in their words and their actions. Most often these are small, but they can add up quickly. Sometimes, they are large - betrayal, violence, or theft.

Another type of danger comes from the corruption of the world itself. "...things like racism, materialism, corrupt government, and war...disease and pollution...earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis."

Yet more danger comes in the spiritual realm: warfare and temptations to sin. Satan is always trying to change our trajectory more toward him and away from Christ. He deceives us and guides us into sinful foolishness of our own choosing. 

With all this danger, where do we run? "The Lord is the stronghold of my life;" David ran to the covenant love of God. There are many other places we can and do run, but none are ultimately protective. The idea of a "refuge" is a place of safety, emotional peace, and security of soul. Where else do you think that can be found? If nowhere else, then why would we run to anything else? 

Questions to Consider

The questions are Tripp's. I included my answers in case they're helpful to read.

1. When you're in danger or feeling discouraged, where do you tend to run?

- Sometimes to my own strength, but that usually fails quickly. Then I run to God's track record and his promises.

2. Where, right now, in the troubles of life, does your soul need rest? What would it look like to find it in the Lord?

- This is a great pair of questions for further (lengthy) meditation.