“God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.” – Psalm 46:1
There’s a particular ache that grows in us during difficult seasons of life — an ache to be steadied, anchored, held.
Life gets loud. Expectations stack up. And somewhere between the headlines and the hurriedness, we feel the quiet tremor of our own weakness.
Psalm 46 doesn’t pretend the world is calm. It doesn’t deny the chaos. It simply gives us a promise strong enough to stand on: God is our refuge … God is near.
This is Advent’s hope:
God doesn’t watch our trembling from a distance.
He steps into it.
He moves toward us.
And He holds us steady.
“God is in the midst of our lives, and that fact is the firm ground on which we stand.”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison
In Jesus, the God who is “always found in trouble” made Himself findable in flesh and bone. He didn’t wait for our world to quiet down. He came into the noise and the mess and the ache — and He still does.
So today, if your hope feels thin… if you feel shaken… if you’re carrying more than your soul can hold — remember: Hope isn’t something you muster. Hope is Someone who comes near.
Prayer:
Jesus, draw near and steady me. Be my refuge when I am restless, my strength when I am weak, my hope when I am overwhelmed. Amen.
When God Came Near 