by M. Sellers
Guest Writer
Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge.
~ Psalm 16:1, NLT
Not that long ago, people fleeing from the law could claim sanctuary in a Church. Now this could be for many different reasons. Sometimes it was for people that were actually criminals and were seeking sanctuary to get away from possible lynch mobs. They would claim sanctuary and the Church would help by keeping them safe until the authorities could take over and ensure that due process was taken care of. There were also people who would claim sanctuary that were being persecuted. People who were in danger either politically or from religious zealots were provided sanctuary in Churches and kept safe. It was a place they could go if they had done no wrong -- if they were just being persecuted for their beliefs or the way they lived. The Church would make sure they were safe and help them.
As I think about this road to recovery, I think of refuge. I think of sanctuary. For a long time many of us looked for refuge. What we found was life in a bottle, a life full of drugs, full of food disorders, full of depression, full of struggles. When we were left to try and figure it out on our own, it was a struggle. We faced our issues and we tried to overcome them and failed miserably.
I struggled with anger, with pride and with a lot of drinking for a long time. During all those years of struggling, I looked for refuge. When things were at their darkest for me, when I thought I couldn't go on any longer, I turned to Him. I turned to Christ and cried out for sanctuary, for safety, and for freedom. With all I had done in my life, with all the drinking, the drugs, with hurting the people I loved the most, He could have turned His back on me but instead, He opened His arms, He told me He was my refuge and He could save me and lead me on the road to recovery -- a road filled with peace, with love, with Him.
So today as we are all walking our own personal roads to recovery I ask you what are you holding on to? Have you truly turned your life, your entire life over to Christ? He is there for you, He wants to be your refuge, your sanctuary, your safety.
Turn to Him, He will wrap His arms around you and you will never be alone again.