我們已經開車行駛了15個小時，直到深夜還在趕路，突然一則龍捲風警報引起我們的高度警覺。我們才剛收到呼籲民眾尋找掩蔽的警報，就看到閃電劃破天際，強風猛烈地撞擊我們的車窗。我們急忙駛離高速公路，把車停在一棟混凝土結構的旅館大樓旁邊。我們迅速衝進旅館裡，慶幸能夠找到一個避難所。

危難的臨到提醒我們需要安全的避難所。箴言18章10節說：「耶和華的名是堅固臺，義人奔入便得安穩。」神學家告訴我們，「耶和華的名」是指上帝所有的特質。當我們在祂裡面尋求庇護，祂所有的特質都能夠成為我們的保障。例如，上帝是慈愛的，祂會接納我們；祂是良善的，祂會聆聽我們的心聲；祂是愛，祂能瞭解我們的感受。

但上帝不是處理問題的另一種途徑，祂也不是一個迅速解決或逃避問題的方法。在上帝那裡尋求庇護，是意味着選擇祂的幫助而非其他一切。當我們面對焦慮和壓力時，可以藉着禱告、默想聖經經文，或順服聖靈的引導，奔向上帝。經年累月下來，這些習慣會引導我們一生倚靠上帝，祂才是我們真正的避難所。

We’d been driving for fifteen hours, and it was late at night when a tornado alert jolted us to attention. The warning said we should take cover immediately. As if on cue, lightning exploded in the sky, and wind pressed against our car windows. We sped off the highway and parked near a concrete hotel building. Sprinting inside, we were thankful to find shelter.

Trouble reminds us we need a safe place to stay. Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Theologians tell us the phrase “the name of the Lord” means the entirety of who God is. All His attributes provide security as we hide ourselves in Him. Because God is kind, He welcomes us. Because He’s good, He listens to us. Because He’s love, He empathizes with us.

But God isn’t just another way to cope with problems. He’s more than a quick fix or a distraction. Taking refuge in Him means choosing His help over everything else. We can run to Him in prayer, meditate on Scripture, or surrender to the Holy Spirit in times of stress and anxiety. Over the years, these habits lead to a lifetime of reliance on the one whos our true shelter.