Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-09-07
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OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH.
By Rev. William Treas. Jr.

By Rev. William Freas, Jr.
God Is our refuge and strength. a
$ery present help In trouble.-Psalms
46:1
The world has been likened tc the
sea, ever agitated; liable to storms
and tempests wherein many are en4
quilted and lost. The Christian mar
liner is sailing upon this sea. He must
cross 1t before ever he can reach the
haven of rest. AS long as IL is smooth
sailing we can smile and be happy, but
let the tempest In its fury burst upon
us and we must use all our strength,
our courage, our knowledge, our skill
If we are TO come out of it safely.
The text speaks Of a refuge, ana
where there is a refuge there must be
danger. The Christian Is In constant
danger from himself and others The
devil Is a danger that is ever near us
We must needs watch and pray that
we enter not into temptation. Danger
comes to us also from our own evil
natures. We have In us the tendency
to do evil rather than good tits hard
TO overcome ourselves. Yet that is
the very thing we must do, deny our
selves and take mp our cross and fol-
low Him. Danger Is the lot Of Gods
people. They have enlisted under His
banners and must incur the risk of
battle. If we would wear the crown
we must fight the battle of God. Every
time we go out from our homes we are
in physical danger, and yet we go. SO
let us 90 about the business of our
Fathers kingdom despite the danger.
facing 1t in His name.
Our text also implies weakness. for
where there is need OF strength there
must be weakness; weakness felt by
the most pious and devout. There has
been no one who at some time has not
felt It. Does not God make this His
opportunIty to teach us to depend upon
Him? Does He not thus show us our
helplessness and draw us to the great
fountain head of strength? When we
have some great duty TO perform we
feel this weakness. We say oh, but
we can't do that We are too. weak
We feel our weakness when some
sacrifice Is TO be made, when God calls
upon us to give up one we love or
there is some great temptation TO be
resisted. 1t is, however, in the mo-
ments when we feel most self-confi-
dent that we are in need of strength.
1t is then that we are really weak
God is our refuge In danger When
the child is in danger lie fees to father
or mother for safety, firmly believing
that there he Is safe Oh, the implicit
confidence OF the child If We all
could only feel toward God MS the
child feels toward his parent. In
grief, In sorrow, in suffering, We can
find a sure refuge In God
! God is also our strength in weak
ness. He fortiies the mind. He gives
energy and strength to the soul III
/ Him we can do all things The Apostle
Paul exclaims; when l am weak
then am I strong Paul would glory
in his weakness, for 1t was then that
the strength OF God would shine forth
in him. If ever there was man, ac-
| Cordng to the judgment of this world
that man was Paul. Yet he sees in
! himself only weakness and the
strength of Christ What rebuke to
| the self satisfied
God Is our help in trouble. If there
! iS ona thing that Cod is hoVa a al up
that thing Is love We seek the refuge
! in danger we use His strength IN
weakness, but we feel the heart throbs
/ of God Himself when He helps us in
trouble. 1t is a pouring out Of his
/ love to sinful and suffering man
/ What a comfort in sorrow is the pres
/ ence of the man of sorrows. Oh. what
/ deliverance from trouble is worked
out for us by the help of all the ages
! He sanctifies to us our trouble. lie
/ draws us nearer to Him thus. 1t /,
! not far off hope, but 1t Is very
/ present one. You who are Borrowing
ut the going home of a loved one. He
waits to help you. You who are
worried by daily cares. He would
share your Burden. You who are
laden with sins, He would forgive you
Oh. fly to Him, who is indeed very
present help in trouble, our refuge anC
our strength
HAPPINESS.
" II