So Timely! SACRED REFUGE has entered the world when so many are facing their own crisis and are in need of a safe place. The author's words bring peace and direction during "such a time as this." I relate to many of the women written about and am so thankful for this book.

This book reminded me of a time years ago when my husband and I toured Key West during our cruise ship’s stop there. While walking around we noticed a mother hen with her chicks out on the street and when some children ran excitedly toward them, she spread her wings and the chicks ran up to her. She closed her wings around them and it looked like she was standing alone just staring calmly at those around her while her chicks were hidden and still pressed in safely next to her. It was the most amazing sight! I loved the author’s recounting of her own experiences with learning to run to the sacred refuge of God’s sheltering “wings” as scripture encourages us. Her book was a wonderful teaching of how to, not only run to in a crisis, but how to dwell permanently in the safe refuge of God’s peace, strength, and presence. So insightful and inspirational. I'm going to buy some copies for Christmas presents. Highest recommendation!

In God's timing, I started reading this book while sitting in my house in Western North Carolina while the winds of Hurricane Helene were flooding my neighborhood and blowing pieces off my neighbor's roof. I had downloaded it the day before the storm, and when I needed it, it was there. It was such a gift to have Lynne's words to point me to the Lord as he reveals himself in the scriptures...our high tower and our sacred refuge in the storm.

There are so many storms in life, and God is present for all of them. I have so appreciated the words on these pages - stories of the women of the faith, who held tight to their Lord when the waters rose and the winds blew. This is an absolute must read for anybody who wants to draw closer to the Lord when troubles come.

Lynne Rienstra’s Sacred Refuge: Finding Unexpected Shelter in Your Crisis takes the reader on a powerful and deepening journey of what it means to have God as our Refuge. Using examples from women’s lives today, as well as her own, and weaving them together with stories from the Bible, Ms. Rienstra confidently helps to show us there is no life crisis too harsh that will keep God from being our Refuge if only we allow Him to be. Each chapter is soaked in Biblical Truth and Wisdom from experience, giving the reader life examples from today and examples from the Bible of how God can be a True Refuge in our time of crisis. Along with Biblical and today’s life examples of having God as a person’s Refuge, each chapter also dives deep into the meaning of having God as our Refuge and includes (of what I call) a type of letter from Jesus, telling us His Heart in regards to what that particular chapter is discussing. There are also questions and reflections at the end of each chapter, as well as various helps in the back of the book to help you go even deeper into making God your Refuge.

The title of Sacred Refuge: Finding Unexpected Shelter in Your Crisis is what drew me to the book the most. Being a new-to-me author, I did not know what to expect from Lynne Riensta’s work and Sacred Refuge did not disappoint! Sacred Refuge is very well written and researched. I love how Ms. Rienstra weaves life examples of both past and present and secures them together with God’s Truth. I love how the Biblical examples used are depicted in their own voice and perspective. The depictions reminded me of how Liz Curtis Higgs writes her Bible Studies. I love how Sacred Refuge explored what it means to truly have God as our Refuge for all time. I love the perspective of the Bride of Christ that Ms. Rienstra brings out in the book. For me, Sacred Refuge was a really deep, but needed read. I found myself really having to take my time reading it because I wanted to really get what God was trying to teach me through Sacred Refuge, which is a good thing. I think Sacred Refuge would be a great read for a personal devotion time. I believe Sacred Refuge would be great for a women’s Bible Study or to use in helping Minister to women in crisis. Sacred Refuge truly Ministered to me and I highly recommend it!

Have you read Sacred Refuge: Finding Unexpected Shelter in Your Crisis? How did it Minister to you?

Thank you to Karen from Book Lovers & Launchers for giving me a copy of Sacred Refuge: Finding Unexpected Shelter in Your Crisis to review, helping me with the information needed for this post, and for letting me be on the Launch Team. Thank you also to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My review is also on Goodreads and my blog, Leslie's Library Escape.