A Safe Refuge

Bible Reading: PSALM 62:5-8

“Hi, Mom,” Ryder said as he came into the kitchen. His mom was busy packing groceries into a crate.

She looked up and smiled. “Hi, honey. We’re going camping.”

“Now?” Ryder asked in surprise. “A whole week before school is out?”

Mom nodded. “The farmers in this part of Africa have received threats. You’ve probably heard about the farm invasions, haven’t you?” Ryder nodded. “Well, we’ve been advised to go away for a while until things calm down,” Mom explained.

“But…” Ryder’s voice quivered. He loved being in Africa where his family served as missionaries. “We’ll come back though, right?”

“I hope so,” said Mom, “but the main thing is we’ll all be together and safe.”

Ryder ducked outside and climbed into his tree house. He looked out and saw a trail of dust from his dad’s truck coming up the road. Dad got out and called up a greeting when he spotted Ryder in the tree house. Ryder waved weakly but didn’t smile.

Dad pulled himself up the rickety ladder and sat down so heavily the tree house swayed. Ryder grinned. Dad looked silly with his long legs crammed into such a tiny space. “I wouldn’t like to be up here during a storm,” said Dad. “I’d prefer to be on solid ground in a stone castle or something.”

“Mom says we have to leave,” said Ryder. “Will we really be safe someplace else?”

“Did you know that King David had to leave his home once?” Dad asked. “His son wanted to take over the throne, so David had to flee with nothing or risk being killed.”

“He did? Was he scared?” Ryder asked.

“I’m sure it was hard, but in the Psalms, David speaks of God as his rock—his refuge. He trusted God even when he had lost everything.” Dad leaned over to put a hand on Ryder’s shoulder, and Ryder squealed as the tree house tilted to one side. Dad laughed. “We need to take precautions against danger, but trusting in our own strength or in material things is like choosing this tree house over a castle in a storm. God is the one who saved us, and He will take care of us. Like David, let’s put our trust in Him, okay?” Smiling, Ryder nodded. JENNY WHITAKER

How About You?

Has it been hard for you to deal with a sudden change in your life? Maybe you lost someone close to you, or you have a new stepmom, or your class got a new teacher in the middle of the year. Remember that God loves you. You can trust Him to give you comfort and strength and courage to face your problems. He is trustworthy. Let Him be your safe refuge in good times and in difficult ones.

Today’s Key Verse:
PSALM 62:6 HE [GOD] ONLY IS MY ROCK AND MY SALVATION; HE IS MY DEFENSE. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Trust God in difficult times