Psalms 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Greetings to all! Praying this finding you waking to another blessed and beautiful day that you have already claimed to be full of positivity! May today bill filled with nothing but good things and if negativity tries to sneak in, may God swoop down and push it out! Have you ever wondered how refuge works? Can we compare the worldly refuge with a Godly refuge? Do you ever ask if there is a place that you can go that would be a refuge for your soul? I am sure that each of us as young children found refuge in our mother’s arms or just anywhere she was at that moment. We also probably would feel comfort with close siblings and grandparents because we felt a sense of peace, security, protection just by being in their presence. The actual meaning of refuge is shelter, or a physical location (building, cave, natural formation, etc,) which gives a safe place from danger, trouble or distress. And if you look at it in a mental capacity, it is a mental and emotional state of relief you gain from being in those safe places! The sad part of a regular definition is that it is temporary, material and can be limited to geography, resources or human engineering! I think I would rather have the Biblical definition and many times I have relied on that definition more often because I believe without a shadow of a doubt it is the one true meaning! God is the unshakeable, spiritual, emotional sanctuary, that cannot fail, nor run out of supplies, or has no boundaries; it is relational and eternal! A quiet refuge in God brings essential peace, strength and renewal to our souls amidst this chaotic, noisy world! Ministers will tell you that even when heaven seems quiet, or prayers feel unanswered, God never abandons the believer! In those moments of quietness our spirits are being renewed and our faith is forged deeper. God is not just a place; like the church, it isn’t the building, it is the people who form the place, because without the members there is no church for we are what makes the church whole! When we as believers allow God to be our refuge, we are enabled to trust Him more freely, and we need not fear any situations or people who threaten our well-being; whether in physical or spiritual sense. Joshua 1:9, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Throughout the Bible, over and over, God promises His love, protection, blessings. David is a prime example of how “pouring out” of our hearts to God for help or protection, we can begin understanding how He can be our refuge. Also, remember, that God might not lead us into difficult or dangerous situations; but He needs us to know, accept and TRUST Him as our refuge during those times! The disciples went into a ship, Jesus knew a storm would come; but He allowed them to feel fear, yet He taught them to trust in Him as their refuge! Understand that no matter our circumstance, whether great or small, God never leaves us, never forsakes us, and He is ALWAYS with us! If you want to face any situations with confidence, the safest way is to place yourself in the center of God’s will! He will be your refuge, even your quiet refuge!
Scripture:
Read: Ps.46:1, 10, Ps.62:8, Ps.37:7, Ps.91:4, Lam.3:22, 25-26, John10:10-11, Ps.23:6, Ps.34:6-9, Pro.18:10, Col.3:14-15, I Peter5:6-7, Heb.13:5-6
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we come now thanking you for the refuge you offer us daily because you love us. We thank you, Father for that quiet, loving presence you give when we enter into that refuge and the peace and trust you bring in that place. Thank you, Father, for showing us that all we have to do is pour out our hearts at any time and you are already there to hear, console, protect us from anything that is causing us harm whether physical, mental or spiritual. Help us, Father, to always trust and call on you, then run to you for our refuge. Amen.