Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble"

On the side of our house, we have an area that is larger than what we've had in the past to work with. For a long time now, I have looked out my kitchen window and wondered what we should do with the area. One day, it came to me..a secret garden...a place to go sit in the morning and take my Bible and my cup of coffee...a place to sit in the cool of the evening with Ray and enjoy a glass of iced tea...a place of quiet, a place of refuge from the day's events..a place to pray and simply be alone with God...a quiet sancturary.. a place of rest. Once I had the idea, I could picture it in my mind..a little patio with a table and chairs..a winding path that is hidden from the rest of the yard...a lot of beautiful foliage and some colorful flowers..a place that probably wont be easily visible from the rest of the yard..but I'll know it's there...a sanctuary.
God dwells in the heart of every believer..and we have an internal sanctuary in Him. When the storms of life rage around us, we have a place of refuge in Him that is cozy and secure. He IS our refuge. He IS our strength. Others may look at our lives and know that there is something there..something different..something they can't quite put their finger on..but they know that the peace that they sense in our lives, even in the most difficult of circumstances is something that they would love to have. It is the presence of God..the strength that carries us when we could never make it on our own..the ever present help in time of trouble.
One of the more difficult things we have worked through with our secret garden was to be able to provide a source of water. Our sprinkler system was already in, and we had to figure out how to get water to that side of the house. Without water, things die. The Lord says that our very soul shall be as a well watered garden. Our soul is our mind, our will and our emotions. We need to literally drink continuously from our Source that never runs dry..the Living Water..our Ever Present Help to be able to walk in His strength daily. We are washed by the water of the Word of God and renewed by it.
God has made provision through His Word for our very souls to be watered. If you are experiencing a time of depletion, you need water! Drink deeply today, beloved...and pay attention as you begin to sense His life giving word bringing strength again where you were once weak, joy again, where you once had worry, and the peace that passes all understanding.