GOD IS THE REFUGE OF HIS SAINTS

          Isaac Watts was truly one of the great hymn writers of all time.  He is said to have written over 600 hymns, 52 other works, including a book of logic used widely in universities, and on grammar, astronomy, philosophy and geography.  But in addition to his scholarly books, he wrote most of his hymns in his early twenties. 
          In 1739 he suffered a stroke that left him able to speak but unable to write.  A secretary was provided to transcribe his dictated poems and books.  But over the years he became increasingly weak and eventually bedridden.   He died in 1748.
          Apparently, he was not a very handsome man.  Standing five feet fall, he had an outsized head and a prominent nose.  His skin was tallowy.  One woman, Elizabeth Singer, having never met him face-to-face, fell in love with him through his hymns and poems.  But when she met him she was unsettled.   He fell in love with her but she couldn't bring herself to marry him.  Later she said "I only wish I could admire the casket (Jewelry box) as much as I admire the jewel."
          And, unfortunately that was the end of that brief romance.
          This particular hymn was one of the first written by Watts.  It was inspired by Psalm 46.  "The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." Psalm 46:7
          God is our refuge, our safe place, our retreat, the place we go when we are afraid. And there is a lot of fear going around today. God is also our strength or "power." This is the same word that Jesus uses in in Acts 1:8 when he promises to give us "power" with the coming of the Holy Spirit who now lives within us.
          But in the midst of these anxieties, we are reminded that we have the strong refuge, our loving God as we read Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Here God is presented as a refuge and fortress for His people in a time of earthly upheaval.

           Centuries may have passed but God is still the refuge of His saints. He provides sweet peace and new strength to fainting souls.

           Dear saint may He be your refuge today.

 Listen to it here.   REFUGE

 

God is the refuge of His saints,
When storms of sharp distress invade;
Ere we can offer our complaints,
Behold Him present with His aid.

Let mountains from their seats be hurled
Down to the deep, and buried there;
Convulsions shake the solid world:
Our faith shall never yield to fear.

Loud may the troubled ocean roar;
In sacred peace our souls abide;
While every nation, every shore,
Trembles, and dreads the swelling tide.

There is a stream, whose gentle flow
Supplies the city of our God,
Life, love, and joy, still guiding through,
And wat'ring our divine abode.

That sacred stream-Thy holy Word-
That all our raging fear controls;
Sweet peace Thy promises afford,
And give new strength to fainting souls.

Zion enjoys her Monarch's love,
Secure against a threatening hour;
Nor can her firm foundations move,
Built on His truth, and armed with power.