Article September 10, 1990 Issue

Breaking the siege

When we feel trapped by illness or other troubles, God's love will restore us and show us the way to freedom.

Leigh Russell Daugherty

The kind of siege you read about in the Bible may not be something everyone faces. But there are certainly many people who have felt besieged by work pressures, family problems, debts, illness, crime, or even the pace of life.

A siege—of any kind—can only succeed by separating those under attack from help. My husband and I saw a vivid example of this fact while we were visiting the ruins of an ancient Greek city that had successfully withstood a number of sieges. Within the walls of the citadel there was a massive subterranean reservoir to store water. It was filled by a hidden hillside spring a half mile away. This secure source of water had kept the city safe during sieges.

The imagery of the reservoir has stayed with me. So often when I've felt overwhelmed by some problem—with "no help on the horizon"—I've thought of it. For me, it has been a powerful symbol of the fact that we can't be cut off from God—the source of good, of life, happiness, and peace. Whatever form the "enemy" takes, we can find release from the difficulty in turning to God, whom the Psalmist speaks of as "our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." The flow from this source can't be stopped, interrupted, or even weakened.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

FROM THE Directors