Finding Refuge in the Storm

March 2025    

Without a doubt, we live in uncertain times.

Headlines about wars, geopolitical tensions, and international conflicts create a sense of instability and uncertainty.

Headlines about recessions, inflation, job losses, and financial crises cause significant anxiety about personal and societal well-being.

News emphasizing extreme political divisions and social unrest all contribute to feelings of hopelessness and a sense of societal breakdown.

Coverage of climate change, extreme weather events (like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods), and ecological damage can lead to feelings of helplessness and dread.

These headlines cause anxiety, a sense of uncertainty and a feeling of helplessness.

Many of today’s headlines highlight unpredictable events, further leading to a feeling of lack of control over one's life.

The constant stream of negative news, especially through social media, overwhelm the brain and lead to heightened anxiety. When faced with large-scale problems like climate change or global conflicts, we feel powerless to make a difference.

We can lose faith in our leaders, our neighbors, our system of government.

We can even lose faith in God. Faith that God will protect us, vanquish our enemies, our fears.

These heavy thoughts led me to reflect on the Psalm this morning, more than the Gospel. Listen to the verses from Psalm 27 that caught my attention.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom then shall I fear?

the Lord is the strength of my life;

of whom then shall I be afraid?

 

And though war should rise up against me,

yet will I put my trust in him.

 

For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe

in his shelter;

he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling

and set me high upon a rock.

 

Show me your way, O Lord;

lead me on a level path, because of my enemies.

 

 

Deliver me not into the hand of my adversaries,

for false witnesses have risen up against me,

and also those who speak malice.

 

O tarry and await the Lord's pleasure;

be strong, and he shall comfort your heart;

wait patiently for the Lord.

 

Even though scholars argue about when David wrote this Psalm, it clearly shows the deep love that faithful individuals have for God, especially when they are having problems.

Ashley Hooker, a freelance writer who is passionate about missions writes: Psalm 27 is rich with lessons we can learn about God’s character and the love He has for us. That we can always have confidence in the Lord.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation–whom shall I fear?”

David then tells us in verse three about his courage and the holy bravery of his faith, “though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”

Powerful words.

We may not be fighting battles like David, but we are fighting battles. We fight to keep ourselves set apart from this world. We experience our enemies rising against us with hurtful words or deeds. But David assures us that we can say that even though the enemies come, our Lord will defeat them. We can be confident that our God will never leave us.

Despite the heaviness of David’s situation, he was confident that God had the perfect plan for him. And, we can be confident too that God has the perfect plan for our lives. Hebrews 4:16 states “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

In verses four through six, David is seeking the Lord. He is exclaiming his desire to commune with Him in the safety of his “sacred tent.” St Stephen's welcomes us to seek the joy in the presence of God, seeking the joy that can only come from communing with the Lord. He wants to have a relationship with us. He wants to hear us praise him in word, song, and deed and gave us the Holy Spirit for daily communication.

(Know that God Will Never Forsake Us.)

David had spent many years fighting and running. Through it all, he never lost faith in God. He was confident that the God he served would never forsake him. Verses 9-10 of this psalm show David crying out for God to not turn His face from him.

Our God will never leave nor forsake us. He has promised to never turn away from us. In Philippians 1:6 we are told that the one that began a good work in us will carry it on to completion. No matter how bad our trials are or how hopeless we feel, God will not leave us. God is going to be present in your life, even when everyone else has turned their backs on you.

(God Is Trustworthy.)

Inevitably, we will face trials on this Earth. We will feel like we cannot handle anything more. Our patience begins to run dry and life seems evermore hopeless. It is in these moments we can trust our God. Verse 14 speaks of waiting for the Lord. When we wait for something or someone, we are expressing our trust in that person or action.

God is the only thing we can trust in. He has proven over and over that he will keep his promises. That he will show up at just the right moment to rescue us. Each time David was in a precarious situation, he could trust God to take care of it. God has not changed from the time of David. We worship the same God David did, and we can trust that same God.

(How Does Psalm 27 Encourage Us in Difficult Times Today?)

All one must do is look around to see the difficulties we are living in. We are dealing with chaos, the effects of financial uncertainty, political and social division. We have just been through a presidential campaign that was filled with harsh words. Our country has become divided because of racism, equality issues, and questions regarding the sanctity of human life.

We are living in difficult times on a global scale. It is now more than ever that we need to place the words of Psalm 27 in our hearts. This Psalm is one of courage, trust, and confidence. David’s words remind us that even in the difficult times we can persevere because our God has perfect timing and the perfect plan. There is no need to panic. We can have confidence that if we turn to God for strength, knowledge, and wisdom, we will know what our part in the solutions is. We can be confident that our Lord will never turn his face from us.

In the hard times, we can focus on the joy that only comes from faith in our Lord. We can trust that He will keep us safe from our enemies. In faith we can experience peace in chaos.  David did not dwell in his problems; he continued to praise the Lord and show confidence in God. We can do this today. Even in the tough times, we can praise Him because we have the confidence that we will come out on the other side of the valley victorious.

Psalm 27 has beautiful lessons we can learn from. Through David’s words, we are encouraged, we can experience hope, security, and rest. Our God is great and is on heaven's throne. God is our light and our salvation, the source of all things good.

 Amid the storms of life, let us anchor our faith in the unwavering love of God. Let us find refuge in his embrace and let us walk in the light of his truth. Amen.