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I understand the deep disappointments and disillusionments that come when the very people we should be able to turn to are not the people we thought they were. When this happens, it spurs in us untold questions. Who can we turn to? Where can we go with our hurts and our questions? How can we trust anyone in a position of spiritual authority when we have personally experienced the heartbreak that comes when that authority has been abused? How can any sanctuary be deemed physically, emotionally, and spiritually safe?
When we put our faith in God and not in humans, we are never disappointed because he alone is trustworthy and sure.
Perhaps, in the secret chambers of your heart, you have asked some of these same questions. It’s understandable. I have wrestled plenty with trying to reconcile my reality with my theology. But when I met Jesus, I was struck by how different he was, and I wanted to learn more about him. As I read page after page in the Bible, his love became so real, and the more I learned about Jesus, the more I knew I could trust him. I want that for you, too, if you’ve ever felt shattered by an experience at church.
If you’ve ever been betrayed by the people you thought were your spiritual advisors. If you’ve ever wondered if any sanctuary could ever be a place of safety. My prayer for you is that you will experience deep spiritual healing—the kind that only comes from spending time with Jesus. Because he will never disappoint.
When we put our faith in God and not in humans, we are never disappointed because he alone is trustworthy and sure.
So, if the thought of stepping into what is sometimes referred to as a sanctuary—a church building—is the last thing you want to do right now, I understand, but if you pursue a journey into a real sanctuary—the one found in the quiet pages of Scripture—together we can grow in our understanding of who God is: the real God. The one who knew you before you were born and called you by name. The one who sees in you what no one else sees and wants for you what no one else can fathom. This is the God we can put our faith in. This is the God we can trust.
In Psalm 91, when the psalmist asserts that God is his refuge and the one in whom we can place our trust, he is speaking from experience. And the same can be said of us. When we walk with God, we experience his provision and protection in countless ways. God’s consistency in this manner creates in us a deep, abiding assurance that God is, in fact, our safe refuge: someone we can always turn to.
A quiet life is characterized by a quiet confidence that God is good.
Warren Wiersbe, a beloved old pastor—who remained faithful to God and his family through his final days—once said this about Psalm 91:1-2: “The most important part of a believer’s life is the part that only God sees, the ‘hidden life’ of communion and worship that is symbolized by the Holy of Holies in the Jewish sanctuary.” Today, we no longer have priests entering the sanctuary on our behalf. Instead, we are invited directly into God’s presence, and when we spend time with God in the sanctuary of his presence, we grow in trust and confidence and assurance.
A quiet life is characterized by a quiet confidence that God is good. He is good when others let us down, and he is good when our circumstances are not. He is good in his love for us, and he is good in his intentions toward us.
When we have this settled in our hearts, so much of the internal noise we carry fades away.
Maybe your story has never known the heartache of a so-called sanctuary that was anything but. If so, then give God thanks and ask him how you can be an instrument of peace for others. But if your story has known the heartbreaking reality of this terribly broken world, it’s ok to tell God about your hesitancy to step inside another sanctuary.
Ask him to reveal more of himself to you as you explore his sanctuary in Scripture. Invite him to penetrate the darkness of those painful memories with his light. Ask him to make a way for there to be hope again because bringing light into darkness happens to be his specialty.
This article is an excerpt from Sanctuary: Cultivating a Quiet Heart in a Noisy and Demanding World by Denise J. Hughes. This 31-day devotional helps women find true peace in Christ among the busyness, noise and pressures of life. Denise is the author of several works, including Deeper Waters. You can find her at denisejhughes.com.
A former English teacher, Denise is the author of three devotionals, two books, and one gift book. She’s also the General Editor of two multi-author works, including the CSB (in)courage Devotional Bible for Women (B&H, 2018). She currently enjoys writing for the First 5 app by Proverbs 31 Ministries and speaking at retreats, conferences, and other women’s events. Denise lives with her husband and three kids in North Carolina, where she always finds time for old books, peach tea, and a good football game.
