JAMES HOBLEY HAS AN INDESTRUCTIBLE REFUGE.
In
the name + of Jesus.
“One who lives in the shelter of the
Most High will stay in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). Jim Hobley knew a thing or two about shelters. As a financial advisor, Jim knew something
about tax shelters. He could advise
people how to protect their income so that they could keep as much of their
earnings as possible. Jim was not
unethical, but smart.
Jim also knew a thing or two about
shelters when it came to camping. He told
me a story about a Spring canoe trip at the Rifle River Recreational Area. After a day of paddling, he set up the tent
for the night for himself and his kids. Apparently,
winter had not give up yet. He woke up
to a tent sagging down to his face because of the weight of the snow on
it. But the shelter was enough, and that
canoe trip continued.
Jim Hobley knew a thing or two about a shelter
in the Lord. He could repeat with the Psalmist:
“I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I
trust’” (Psalm 91:2). He was a
regular attender in God’s house and served in many ways for the church. When he was no longer able to come, he
welcomed every visit where he heard God’s promises and feasted on the holy
sacrament. He sought shelter in God’s
mercy. He confessed that Jesus Christ
was his refuge—or I should say, Jesus Christ is his refuge. It would be incorrect to say that James Hobley
had an indestructible refuge in Jesus.
If it was something he had, then either he no longer has it, or
it was able to be destroyed. But James
Hobley has an indestructible refuge in Jesus, and even death cannot destroy
it.
When we need safety and security, we seek
a refuge. We seek refuge from the winter
in heated homes. Our cars provide a
refuge in case of an accident with seat belts and air bags. Without a shelter or a refuge, we expose
ourselves to danger. The danger we all
face is sin and death. Sin earns God’s
judgment. We can try to take refuge in excuses,
but they are as flimsy as the fig leaves Adam and Eve tried to cover up with. The Bible reminds us, “The wages of sin is
death” (Romans 6:23). Jim Hobley
died because he was a sinful human being.
He did not make excuses for it; he confessed it. You, too, will die because you are a sinful
human being. “All have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Far worse than the physical death we all
face is the eternal death that results from sin. No matter how much we might try to convince
ourselves that we are good people, God’s Law exposes us. Who does not have fits of anger? Who is not jealous over someone else’s blessings?
Who does not become angry with God when life gets hard, or even hate God when his
word condemns us for doing things we like?
Defiance of God and of his word brings down a curse on us—an eternal
sentence in which we are cast away from the God who is the source of life and
goodness and blessing.
What a marvel, then, that God himself provides
a refuge so that we will not be destroyed by that judgment! James Hobley has an indestructible refuge, and
he would want you to know about it so that you can take refuge in it as well.
The Psalmist wrote, “Yes, you, Lord,
are my refuge! If you make the Most High
your shelter, evil will not overtake you.
Disaster will not come near your tent” (Psalm 91:9-10). The refuge that our Lord provides is found in
Jesus Christ. Whoever believes in Jesus
and is baptized into his name receives an indestructible refuge. That is because Jesus came to take the blows
for us. He is like a castle against
which cannon balls are lobbed. They pound
and pound at the castle, but those who are inside remain safe. So, Jesus took up the sins of the world and
put himself under the judgment of the heavenly Father. Since Jesus bore our guilt, he was treated as
the guilty one. He took all the blows of
the damning judgment at the cross. Those
who take refuge in Jesus remain safe and secure. Evil will not overtake you. Eternal disaster will not come near your
tent. Like Jim, you have an
indestructible refuge in Jesus.
Jim always enjoyed a good story. He would often tell me about the books he
read. He seemed to like action most of
all. It is no wonder, then, that he
liked to hear from the Bible. For the
Bible tells about the action that our Lord took to deliver us from sin and
death. The Psalmist describes it: “You
will tread on the lion and the cobra. You
will trample the young lion and the serpent” (Psalm 91:13).
The devil, in the form of a serpent, had lured
mankind into rebellion against God. That
sin infects us all. But as soon as sin
entered the world, God gave a gracious promise: “The Lord God said
to the serpent: …I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between
your seed and her seed. He will crush
your head, and you will crush his heel” (Genesis 3:14-15).
Jesus is the seed of the woman who let the
serpent strike him which resulted in Jesus’ death. But Jesus rose from the dead. He crushed the serpent underfoot. When you crush the head of a serpent, you
render it powerless. The work of the devil
is undone. Now Jesus has authority over
death and the grave. Even in death, James
Hobley is sheltered in Jesus’ care. For,
Jesus will come again and raise up these ashes to become a glorious,
incorruptible body. No longer will Jim have
a mind that has slipped from what it once was.
Rather, he will be perfect in knowledge, in body, and in spirit.
James Hobley has an indestructible refuge
in Jesus. To repeat the words of the Psalm:
“You will tread on the lion and the cobra. You will trample the young lion and the
serpent” (Psalm 91:13). The devil is
described as a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. But Jesus would not let this roaring lion
harm Jim at all. Whatever accusations
the devil may have lobbed at Jim have been emptied of any value. Jesus has acquitted him of every accusation. Jim’s refuge is Jesus who protects him from
every evil forevermore.
The Lord never asked Jim Hobley to outsmart or outmuscle sin, death, and the devil. That’s what Jesus did for him. In his last years, Jim’s strength faded, but God’s promises stood strong. Jim’s mind had slipped, but God was ever-mindful of him. The words of the Psalm remain true: “With his feathers he will cover you, and under his wings you will find refuge. His truth will be your shield and armor” (Psalm 91:4). James Hobley has an indestructible refuge in Jesus. The angels who watched over Jim throughout his life have taken him to Jesus’ side. And when Jesus comes again, he will raise him up to life everlasting, forever free from weakness, sickness, and sadness. The Savior who could not be destroyed by death lives and remains Jim’s eternal refuge.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
