On May 20, 2013, an EF5 tornado cut a 20-mile path of destruction in and around Moore, Oklahoma, a southern suburb of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The EF5 category is the strongest category of tornadoes measured. This particular twister was approximately 1.3 miles wide and possessed winds between 200 and 210 miles per hour. The day after touchdown, the death toll stands at 24, and the list of injured exceeds 230.

Many of Moore’s citizens have been interviewed in the aftermath, and their stories have a common thread: when the devastation was coming, they sought refuge from the storm. Some huddled in a room of their homes. Some were caught outside, forced to seek out a ditch to try to get under the twister. Some huddled in the hallways of the buildings they were in, much like the elementary school students whose school was annihilated (Miraculously, everyone in the school survived!). Most prayed to God for safety, and all sought deliverance from the devastation.

The folks in and around Moore, OK were simply going about their daily lives when the tornado came. It fell upon them swiftly and without mercy, leaving a pile of rubble in its wake. In our day to day pursuits as Christians, we need to be prepared for the same in a spiritual sense. We will go about our daily lives, pursuing whatever goals the Lord has laid before us. Then, suddenly and without mercy, Satan will fall upon us, leaving a pile of rubble in his wake. When the storm comes, we will need to do what the people of Moore did – seek out refuge.

As the following verses teach us, God is our Refuge when the Enemy attacks:

Deuteronomy 33:27 (KJV): The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

2 Samuel 22:3 (KJV): The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

Psalm 9:9 (KJV): The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

Psalm 46:1 (KJV): God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 57:1 (KJV): Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

When Satan brings his next whirlwind of trouble upon you, cling to verses such as these (Find more at www.biblegateway.com, search term “refuge.”). Remember that God is your Refuge, and run to Him with all of your might!

(NOTE: Please pray for the people of Moore, OK. To learn more about how you can help the people of Moore, please read the NBCNews.com article How to Help Oklahoma Tornado Victims by clicking here.)