Refuge in the Lord

Hey, I live in California, so I’m always stocking up on earthquake supplies.  

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and I very much appreciate my husband who, as of late, is freshening up our stash of earthquake supplies. We got gallons of water; we got canned food, a little propane gas for our Coleman stove, batteries for our flashlights and so on and so on. ’Cause we live near Los Angeles and because a devastating earthquake could happen any time, we just gotta be prepared as best we can. Because let me tell you, I have been in a strong earthquake, and it is scary. The biggest one I experienced was back in 1994 when a 6.7 earthquake hit the San Fernando Valley in the middle of the night. It was what they call a “blind thrust” earthquake, and so it felt like it was a magnitude 7.7 rather than 6.7. And when it hit, whoa did our house shake violently. I mean honestly, it was still dark, and I woke up half-in-a dream thinking a monster had grabbed our house and was tossing it this way and that. I could hear glass cracking and breaking and heavy things falling with a thud.  

Now, my first thought was to quick, run for cover; get under a table or a door jamb. But I’m lying there as a quadriplegic; I couldn’t get out of bed and run for safety. And as the house kept shaking, there I was staring up, looking at the ceiling, thinking it could collapse any minute. It was terrifying. But thankfully, Ken quickly threw himself over me to protect me should the ceiling cave in! With him shielding me, I felt instant relief. I just felt safe. It was a horrible experience; more horrible for the families of the 57 people in the Valley that lost their lives in what they called the Northridge earthquake. But thankfully, my husband Ken protected me. But I will never forget the sound and the fury of great danger in those earth-shattering moments. 

I think of that experience whenever I read Psalm 32:7. For when there is danger all around, we can confidently say to God, “You are my hiding place; you preserve me from trouble.” It’s what God did that day, especially later that morning when we surveyed the damage in our living room and kitchen. Every lamp, every framed painting in the living room was shattered on the floor. Every kitchen cabinet door had emptied its plates and saucers on the tiled floor. The entire house smelled like milk and catsup and relish and vinegar. It was a lot of trouble to clean everything up, but God had preserved not only our lives from worse trouble, but best of all, that day he preserved our souls from trouble. Our house may have suffered a few cracks in the ceiling and in the flooring. God kept our faith and confidence in him solidly intact. 

Now, you may not live in earthquake country, but I’m certain there are days when you feel like everything is caving in. Everything in your world seems to be cracking and crumbling. Well, take courage from the countless times in the Bible you are told, “God is our shelter and strength.” That’s from Psalm 46. And elsewhere it says he hides us in the shadow of his wings and places us in the cleft of his rock. When it comes to finding safety for your soul, God is constantly saying that, in him, “his afflicted people will find refuge.” And that’s from Isaiah 14. So, friend, these Scriptures – whoa, my goodness! – they’re your hope today in whatever earth-shaking problems you’re going through. Those Scriptures are your hope through hardship. So, if you’re in distress, know where to run for cover. And if you need prayer, tell us about it at joniradio.org. 

© Joni and Friends