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Refuge
“Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.” Psalm 16:1 NIV
Having just entered into my first year as pastor at First Baptist in Canon City, I was blessed recently to be able to go off and spend three days alone at a pastoral/spiritual retreat center to get refocused, or to take refuge under the guidance of the Lord’s loving care.
How often I wondered while at the retreat center, do we as ministers of the Gospel actually spend time in refuge inside of God’s mighty arms? I don’t mean twenty minutes alone time with the Lord during our typical morning daily devotional time, but actual, alone, “refuge,” time, renewing and strengthening for the battles of ministry which seem never ending. I myself attempt each Monday morning, weather permitting, to get away walking through the beautiful Red Canyons close to our home as I take solace, refuge, in God.
 Let us remember that even the Lord took time alone, “refuge” time to refresh. As members of the Rocky Mountain Region, most of us are lucky enough to have mountains surrounding us. Yet how many of us, actually take hikes to renew? Yes, the Lord will meet us where we are, but don’t we often get so caught up in the daily routine of ministry that we actually forget God is beside us, waiting for us to cast our burdens on Him?
As one who has been away to retreat, I urge all my brothers and sisters in Christ to take time away, just to reflect and take refuge. We can’t do it alone, but as Paul reminds us in Philippians’ 4:13, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! Thus, let us get away from our daily routine to take refuge in the Lord; the church, Lord willing, will still stand, people will still have problems, that only our Lord should address, and people will still be born and still die. We must not handle everything, but take refuge, knowing our Lord can, and will strengthen us if we do seek refuge.
In this Psalm, David asks the Lord to preserve him, should we not also remember to ask the Lord to preserve us, and strengthen us for the tasks at hand? Again, are we taking time as David said to take refuge in our Creator? Remember, God is the Creator; we’re just the created, flawed, human being, not the other way around! In a recent ABCRM devotional, Rev. Mark Jervis reminded us, as a pastoral friend told him, “God does not need your exhaustion to get His work done.” Preserve yourselves, many need what Christ has called you uniquely to do for His Kingdom, take refuge in the Lord, and let Him lead you besides still waters.
Prayer: O Lord, please let us remember to take refuge in you, daily, even when we are not facing struggles. As David tell us, preserve us, as we remember that we can and should take refuge from ministry alone with you.
Rev. Scott Simpson
Pastor
First Baptist Canon City
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