Soul Refuge

It’s been a tough week in the news. It was hard waking up Monday morning and learning that 58 people were killed and 489 injured going to a Country Music Concert in Vegas. Thirty-three of the deceased where from California. None of those folks who were killed could have imagined that concert would be their last. We grieve, we mourn. For most of us, we ask the question, Why? 

Why did a 64-year-old man spray people with bullets with a semi-automatic gun with a bump stalk attached to it, from the 32 floor of his hotel room? Today, we still have no answers.

Unfortunately, the Scriptures remind us that such a tragic day like October 1^st can happen to anyone, given the right circumstances. The very first couple recorded in Scriptures, had two children, culminating with the older killing the younger because of anger. 

"Humanity couldn’t even make 
it through the second generation 
without the existence of murder"

Later, before the great flood in Noah’s days, we are told that every inclination of man’s thoughts, was evil all the time. Evil is a reality in life and Scripture.

As the shooting indicated, just because you are innocent doesn’t mean that you are out of harm’s way from evil. The concert reminds us that evil can be watching you when you least expect it. So, what are we do given that reality? In these times of uncertainty, the only thing we can do to protect ourselves and find refuge in God.

David, before he became Israel’s second king, sought his refuge in God when he was being hunted by a jealous king and his army, even though he was for them and on their side. What was David’s crime? He was guilty of being a man after God’s own heart. Though innocent, he recognized that in times of evil, we must cling to God.  

Psalm 57:1 “In you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.”

"Notice David says, the part that takes refuge in God, is his "soul."

During times of uncertainty, the only thing we can do is take refuge in God and hope the storms in life pass us by. The term, “refuge” literally refers to a "safe place.” 

There have been times where both of my sons were nervous or did not feel safe, so they would cling to my thighs to take refuge in me. They saw me as a safe place in times of trouble. In times like these, we must seek refuge in the One who represents safety.

The Heart of the Matter: Why did this man take 58 lives? We don’t know. He doesn’t appear to be a racist, since he randomly killed concert goers that varied in age and status (ages of 20-67). Though Al-Qaeda tried to take responsibility, there does not seem to be any religious or terrorist connection. Perhaps, we will never know.

When the shooters brother was interviewed he was completely shocked. It was as if the shooter was a complete different person. The brother said the shooter took care of the people he loved. He gave his mom a great retirement and made his brother and her rich. He wired 100,000 dollars to his girlfriend and her family in the Philippines to provide for her and her family. 

The brother has said he’s hoping investigators find something during the autopsy that would explain what drove his brother to the pit of hell. He is hoping they find a tumor in his brain, so it can make more sense. We want things to make sense.

But as they perform the autopsy, we must remember what the Scripture says about the human heart.

Jeremiah 15:10-11 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

"You see, the fundamental problem with humanity is the heart." 

It is easy for us to say we would never do such a thing–and maybe we never will—but who is to say, given the right circumstances, events in our life, isolation from others, that our heart would not us to pull a trigger and take a life.

Certainly, biblical heroes like Moses, David, and Paul, remind us that even those we consider “good people” can become murders, given a set of circumstances and context. We must seek refuge in God. We must guard our hearts, and allow others to let us know if it is on the verge of becoming hardened.

The Natural Disasters

Besides a hardened heart that took the lives of 58, we also have experienced natural disasters over the past several months. Harvey killed 78 people, mostly in Texas. Irma killed 87 people in the US and its territories. In Puerto Rico, the death toll from Hurricane Maria stands at 34.

When we total these up, that’s 179 people who have been killed by these natural disasters. People who represent all ages and demographics. Unlike the Vegas shooter, natural disasters don’t target people, but they serve to remind us that there are forces that can come our way and take our lives in an instant. One day we are alive, the next day we die.

There is a passage in the Bible, where Jesus describes a tower that had collapsed and killed 18 people. It is quite possible this tragedy was caused by a natural disaster. Those present where trying to make sense of it all, wondering somehow if that was God’s judgment on them. Jesus responds…

Luke 13:4-5 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Jesus is not trying to be mean here. He is just stated something we need to hear. 

"God doesn’t cause these things to happen because people are worse people than others." 

Also, we never know when our last day will come. The Vegas shootings and the Hurricanes serve to remind us that no one is promised another tomorrow.

So, the focus of Jesus here is that everyone should be ready in case of an unexpected disaster. What he means is that while today is still here, we must seize it, repent of our sins, and find our refuge in Jesus. We must place our trust in Jesus that he has prepared a safe place for us in Heaven.

To REPENT means to TURN in the other direction. To stop where you are headed and walk in the direction of Jesus. He represents your safe place from evil hearts, natural disasters.  

Innocent people will continue to die, which is why you must take refuge in Jesus.  

Okay, here is a final category that has also been heavy on our hearts the past six months. We have several folks with serious health concerns.

  

The Health Concerns

There are certain seasons a church goes through where they are bombarded with one medical concern after another. Times where it seems we can’t even take a breath before something else occurs. At our church, we’ve have been bombarded. Over the past several months we have had to deal with the following concerns. 

1. Dick Bruno's Pancreatic Cancer

2, Darrell Tesdall's Pancreatic Cancer

3. Duane Van Doren's Bladder Cancer

4. Barbara Birch's Cancer in her bone marrow 

5. Laurie Zone's tumor in her colon

      Some folks like Darrell and Laurie had successful surgeries and are on the road to recovery. Darrell had his tumor removed and underwent 18 rounds of chemo. It looks like he is going to be okay.

Laurie Zone’s tumor, thankfully was cancer free, but she is at home recovering as it was removed.

The word is still out on Van. He is a private man, you won’t get much out of him, but that doesn’t mean we cannot pray. He ended up in the hospital last week.

Then there is Dick Bruno. The chemo did not go well for him. He tried different types and sought different medical opinions. Several weeks ago, Dick Bruno concluded that he is done with chemo. He is waiting for a miracle or for God to take him

Barbara has a form of cancer, lymphoma, that was supposed to be more treatable. The only problem was that the cancer is where her bone marrow is located, and she is not able to produce blood. She has had so many blood transfusions over the last month, that she has concluded that she doesn’t want anymore. She wanted to leave manor care and go home with hospice.

She cannot continue at 84 to feel so weak and miserable. The only way she lives is through a miracle! What do all these people who have been ill have in common? They were innocent! They loved God. Yet they were inflicted with tumors and disease.

"Still, there is another thing that have in common? Every one of them recognizes that they must also take refuge in God. He is there safe place."

Maybe you are feeling heavy from all the events of the past couple months. Maybe you are mad at God because he allowed innocent people to die.  We will never understand the complexities of evil hearts, natural disasters, and terrible diseases this side of heaven. But we do have someone who invites us to take refuge in him. For those who seek refuge, Jesus reminds us….

Matthew 11:28-29 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Jesus, also an innocent man, died for your sins so you can take refuge in him. He invites you with extended arms to come to him, a safe place. He invites you to mourn. To grieve. To cling to him in these times of uncertainty. He will never force you, but he will embrace you, should you accept his invitation to seek refuge in him. Come to me, he says. I will give you rest for your souls. In the end, it is the soul refuge that matters most.