Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“In the Lord I take refuge.”
NL Daily Devotion for Monday, June 21, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
When I am in distress, I need to lean into God. My instinct is to escape by whatever means possible—procrastination, avoidance, distraction; I used to numb out with compulsive eating and shopping, but my recovery programs keep those in check, which, of course, means I feel my feelings.
The psalmist is stronger than I am sometimes. They say, essentially, “God is my refuge. I’m not going to run away from my problems. God is God and God is just and righteous, so, you know, it’s all good.” Words to live by.
But what does that actually look like? For me it’s sometimes as simple as just breathing through my discomfort and praying, “I know you’ve got this.” Other times it’s picking up the phone being vulnerable with a friend or writing to God about what’s going on. And then there are the times when God says, “Go see your therapist,” and I listen—I fully believe God works through good professionals.
I guess the bottom line is to remember that I’m never alone in my difficulties, no matter how big or small. God is right there, sharing my place, feeling my feelings, loving me no matter what. In the Lord I take refuge.
What does it look like for me to take refuge in God?
![1 Kings 17:1-16 [17-24], God’s Care for the Widow](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56b39b61ab48de92d991a40a/bf37035e-33d5-439f-a0d6-a68b02d0f1bc/24-11-03.jpg)
