A memorable experience in my teenage years was a strenuous hike up Mount Rainier in Washington State. I ascended the mountain to an elevation of a little over 10,000 feet arriving at Camp Muir. This camp contains shelters that are important staging camps for mountaineers desiring to summit the peak of Mount Rainier.
Those planning to reach the summit of the mountain rely on the refuge of Camp Muir to provide shelter while awaiting a mountain summit. There is no way to accurately plan or predict when there will be favorable conditions for a summit attempt. This shelter is an essential location to find shelter in unpredictable conditions.
The circumstances we face in life are also unpredictable. We can try to make plans and expect that we will face favorable conditions with our lives. But this is not the case. Storms of life can come up suddenly and appear to consume us. What then can we do to prepare for the unexpected?
The book of Psalms is full of genuine worship in the face of real-life struggles. The Bible shows us where our place of help needs to be.
We see in Psalm 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!” [New Living Translation]
Just like a mountain shelter to seek refuge in, the Lord is our place of refuge in all of life’s struggles. A mountain refuge is not only for last resort emergencies. Wise mountaineers plan on making use of these shelters from the very early planning stages.
We must always trust in the refuge that we have in the Lord. This needs to be our focus in both the good times and the painful times. This teaches us that we cannot face life by our own effort, but need to rest in the strength of the Lord.
This is the promising message of the Bible that we can find our help and refuge in the Lord. This needs to be part of an ongoing relationship with God. The Lord desires that we trust in Him in the times of flourishing and also in the difficult times. This is a truth we can always rest in.
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