No matter how intense the storm. If we cling to Him, God will always be our refuge.
But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge (Psalms 94:22)
We have had a difficult few years.
Pandemics, volcanoes, wars, heat waves, uncontrolled inflation, rising mortgages, droughts, floods…
And this in general, because, then, in particular, each one has had his or her own problems, work, health, accidents, family losses…
To use a Spanish saying, it would seem that all mankind has been looked at by a one-eyed man.
But the truth is that no visually impaired person is to blame for this.
In some cases we are faced with the consequences of living in a world separated from God, and all that this represents in terms of evil, lies and selfishness.
In other cases, they are the consequences of our own limitations and shortcomings when making decisions.
And in others, they are situations that God allows or propitiates for our growth and maturity.
So now that 2022 is over and we look back, why deny it, what many of us see is a time of difficulty and pain.
But, if we look closely, in the midst of that darkness, there is something that has never been missing. And that something is God.
It is true that, at times, situations become very uphill and that there are tunnels that seem to have no end.
But always God’s presence has been made real. Perhaps not as we would like, as a wave that carries away everything that prevents us from moving forward, but as that peaceful whistle that brings us peace and hope.
Something that King David also experienced. Thus, in Psalm 94, after crying out for God to intervene in his situation, he states in verse 22:
But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.
Yes, David was having a hard time. He was having a very hard time. But it was always clear to him that God was his refuge.
And, as it happens to all of us, the psalmist would also have liked God to put a quick end to the pain or injustice he was experiencing.
But David was not afraid of what might happen, because he knew he was in God’s hands.
So yes, 2022 will not go down in history as an easy year. But what we will be able to affirm, with joy, when we remember this year, is that God has always been with us.
And, if we remain faithful to Him, He always will be.
Happy 2023 and may God bless you.
Cover photo by Marcus Woodbridge on Unsplash
