God explains to us in His Word that there is a balance to life.  To gain wisdom, we are to understand and achieve that balance in our lives.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose.  A time for this, and a time for that.  So, how do you know which time is which?

To gain that knowledge and wisdom, let’s look at and study two opposite actions. The first action is when you go to God for refuge and sanctuary from the trials and pressures of life -- to "get away" from it all.

Psalms 27:5-14 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. 7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. 9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. 11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

God is our refuge, and in his sanctuary we shall be hidden from all our enemies. For this we sing His praises!  

These verses also promise that when we seek Him ... He will find us!  He will not forsake us, for He is the God of our salvation.  God teaches us the way to Him, and He wills that path to be plain to us. We just have to have the patience and courage and strength of heart to find, and stay on, that path. So, when we choose to seek him, He is always there.

Psalm 32:5-11 5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. 6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. 7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. 8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. 9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. 10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about. 11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

God is our salvation and our deliverance. We should not try to hide our sins from Him; it's impossible!  Instead, we should know that when we confess our sin unto Him He will be quick to put our sin away from us as far as the West is from the East.  Therefore, when we are in a state of greatest need -- whether from peril of flood, or earthquake, or mortal enemies, or anything -- our sins will not separate us from the love of God!  

Know thee of a truth that He will continue to be our deliverance, our rock, our refuge, just as He will continue to teach us the way which we should go.  Let God be your eyes!  Gain wisdom and understand from His priceless and matchless Word.  Let Him shower you with mercy -- divine judgment withheld -- and know that when He sees you He sees His righteousness in you, not your sins.  Therefore, "Shout for Joy!"

Psalm 119:114-120 114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. 115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. 116 Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. 117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. 118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood. 119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies. 120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.

God is our true shield and our hope, our abiding hiding place. Let us never forget that, and therefore strive to keep His commandments.  When we honestly do, He will uphold his end of the bargain -- He will upgird us, uplift us, uphold us and keep us safe from harm! When? Whenever! Wherever!

What do we have to do to get Him to keep his bargain? Simply try to keep him close in our heart, to love Him with all our heart, mind, body, soul and strength. Stand upon His promises, and do not err from His Will, which is found in His Word.

All those that willfully err, that knowingly teach false doctrine, that intentionally purvey deceit and falsehoods, will be put away "like dross" -- like discarded dregs or the scum of the earth. That's why the Psalmist warns -- woe unto those that mislead by teaching and preaching false doctrine!  The promised adjudicated fate reserved for those that set out to pervert the Word, and thereby attempt to mislead others by wrongly divining the Will of God, should make our flesh tremble.  I know that this is not "politically correct" nowadays, but if you have a complaint about His judgment, don't argue it with me, take it up with the Creator!

Know that God was Christ’s acknowledged refuge also, here just before the time of his greatest trial. And just as Christ Jesus was "nevertheless" willing to do God's will, not his own, regardless of the personal cost to him, so too must we be willing to do God's will. 

After all, why see His will if you're not willing to do His will?  And remember -- God will not let us be tempted above that which we are able to bear!

I Cor 10:11-15 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

The second action we need to study is when to go to God for strength needed to overcome the trials and pressures of life. In other words, when do we go to God in preparation for taking action!  

See ... if all we ever do is go to God to "get away from it all" we would not be doing what is best in every situation. God’s Word teaches us that there is yet another option, another path that we may follow -- an active path ...

Psalm 18:29-50 29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. 30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. 31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? 32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. 33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places. 34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. 35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. 36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip. 37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed. 38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet. 39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. 40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. 41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not. 42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets. 43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. 44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. 45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places. 46 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. 47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me. 48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. 49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. 50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and showeth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

By God we can be granted the strength to take believing action -- to pursue and conquer our enemies.  This promise is to us -- born again Believers who have His incorruptible seed within, "Christ within" ... Christians -- "forevermore."  No heathen enemy can withstand against God!  Our God delivers!  He alone shall always deliver His faithful from the violent men who may rise up against us.

II Cor 2:14-15a 14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, ...

God always permits us to triumph in Christ. It’s His way of making known everywhere, by our victory, the superiority of His Will and the supremacy of His son.  Ahh, the sweet smell of victory!

So, when do you go to God for refuge, to get away, and when do you go to Him for strength to overcome, to take action? Well, that’s totally up to you. It’s between you and God. But remember ... He’s there for you, always.  So, why not go to Him ... always?  In every situation?

Matthew 26:51-54 51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. 52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

Christ knew that it was not time to fight, but to acknowledge the superiority of God’s Will, by submitting to it as God's will.  See ... there's a time to fight, and a time to flee.  Christ knew that then and there he could ask God for help and that God would immediately send him 72,000 (12 legions) of angels.  But Jesus did not. Jesus was obedient to God's Word.

God’s there to take care of you too. He wants you to come into His sanctuary. He has also called us to victory, and made us more than conquerors in Christ. He promises us strength to overcome, and God is never late! He delivers on time, every time, according to His schedule, when it's His season to act, and not according to our time table, our own notion of when and how things ought to be done.

II Cor 4:8-9, 14-18 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; ... 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

When we act upon our notions of what is right and wrong, we can make mistakes. Our present circumstances may be in turmoil from our poor choices, but our preordained future in Christ is eternal glory. Why? So that God may get the glory He so justly deserves.

So, you can go to Him to be strengthened. You can go to Him to overcome any and every obstacle you will ever face in life. There is a time for refuge, and a time for victory. There is a time for every purpose under the heavens.