“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
They call him the man of steel. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, Superman is the ultimate strong and powerful superhero. As long as there’s none of that nasty green Kryptonite nearby to suck away his strength, Superman can do whatever it takes to rescue people in any kind of danger. And not only does he fly and have incredible strength, but he also seems to use his powers, not to make himself look good, but to help other people.
We love Superman because we know we need a hero: someone who knows when we need help, is powerful enough to be able to help us, and cares enough to want to help. In the comic books and on TV, Superman does all of those things. But he doesn’t do any of them perfectly. For example, he knows when people need help—but only because he hears about it from someone else. He is powerful enough to help people—but only in one place at a time. If a child were being kidnapped on one side of Metropolis at the exact same moment that a woman’s car was being stolen on the other side of the city, he would have to choose to help either the child or the woman. He couldn’t do both, even if he wanted to.
Superman is a good hero, but he is only a man—and not even a real man, just a pretend character in comic books and in movies. He is only a fictional imitation of the one Hero we all truly need: a God who knows everything, who can do anything He wants to, and who loves His children perfectly. That God is our refuge: we can run to Him for shelter when we’re facing something scary or painful. He is our strength: we can call on Him when we are weak. He is always near when we are in trouble: He doesn’t have to fly to where we are, because He’s already there. We can count on Him to be our ultimate Hero.
God, our refuge and strength, is better than any make-believe superhero.
My response:
» Do I turn to God for help when I am in trouble, or do I try to solve my problems by myself?