Have You Found God as Your Refuge?
God is I Am
The Refuge Series is my desire to point us to God’s word, to know what it says, and what His heart says within the words. God is our refuge. He’s our strength and our song. He hides us. He fights for us. He is I Am. We are weak and He is our strength.
I’m convicted. I’m energized. I’m humbled. I’m also astonished that the Lord offers the most amazing free gift of salvation. Because of this gift of grace, everything should flow out of the grace He’s worked in my life.
God is our refuge. He’s a refuge when life nips at our heels. He’s our refuge when we sin. He’s blesses us with contentment and happiness in the refuge place. God as our refuge provides testimony for us to share with each other so we don’t give up on walking towards victory. The refuge place is for us individually as well as a corporate body.
Actionable Steps
I added some practical application steps to the Refuge Series so that we have actionable steps to take to make God our refuge. God as my refuge has become a way of life for me and as a friend gently reminded me, people need the “how-to” not just the “why.” I’m including links to The Refuge Series so that you can go back and take those actionable steps. I hope they bless you and, mostly, that God uses them to reveal more of Himself to you.
The Refuge Series Compilation
Why Your Story of Refuge is Powerful
8 Ways Making God Your Refuge Makes You Happy
Your City of Refuge for Your Traitorous Heart
When You Need Escape From Your Life
How Do We Trust?
The next question that arises in my heart is this: How can we make God our refuge if we don’t trust Him? We find comfort in things we trust. A trusted person, business, feeling, or habit. It’s easy to run to other things because they’ve proven themselves trustworthy. But what about God? Would you say He is trustworthy? Has He proven trust or broken trust?
He is trustworthy. But sometimes it’s us who doesn’t understand Him fully so we question His goodness.
We’re going to dive into trust and what that means and what it looks like next month.
Thank-you
Thank-you! I treasure your time and space in your head and your heart. Will you let me know how the application steps worked for you? You can leave a comment here or email me at jessica@welcomegrace.com
Here’s a great article on Refuge Living from desiringgod.org
Why Your Story of Refuge is Powerful to Me
You Matter
Your story matters. It matters more than you think. It matters because without your story, I wouldn’t know that I’m not alone.
We conquer because of the blood of Jesus working in our lives and because of the God-stories we tell. Each time you experience refuge living, forgiveness and pardon, and blessedness, you have an opportunity to share your victory with others.
Silence before God grows our faith, but silence before each other stifles our growth.
Your Words Matter
We are to remember and tell of God’s faithfulness in our lives. It’s because of God’s refuge that we can sing and it’s for the benefit of other believers that we do sing.
I need to hear your song of God’s faithfulness. You need to hear mine. We need each other. God knows this, which is why he created community. The devil knows this too, which is why he plays with our pride.
Our pride keeps us from making God our refuge. And when we refuse God’s refuge, we struggle on our own, risking our deaths, and stealing victory from each other. Our pride keeps us from declaring God’s love and faithfulness in our life.
We are not meant to struggle on our own. We are meant to run straight to God, stand firm with our eyes fixed on him, and let him fight for us. When we refuse his help, we rob ourselves of his life-giving and life-sustaining presence.
Where You Hide Matters
It’s in his refuge that we find peace and comfort and once we know them, we are able to share that peace and comfort with with others. I need your story. I need to hear of your harrowing experiences and how God miraculously showed you grace and mercy.
There’s something powerful when our ears hear words declaring God’s love and faithfulness. Did you know that I’ve been told I’m just not popular enough for a literary agent? Did you know that rejection is always hard for me and that every word I speak or write becomes fuel for the devil to take cheap shots at me? I have to live in refuge with God or else I would never live at all.
It’s because of hiding in him, that I have the courage to keep writing words. It’s because of his refuge that I find forgiveness for my selfish ambition. I find refuge, strength and my song because He is my refuge.
Draw Near to God
He wants to be yours as well. He sees you. The Lord knows your ache, but wants you more than anything else. He cares about a relationship with you and your circumstances can drive you deeper into that relationship. Or they can draw you away from Him.
If we draw near to God, he draws near to us. And sometimes in this world where we’re surrounded by people, we are incredibly alone. Achingly alone. That’s why I need your story. I need to know how God ministers to your heart. The church needs you.
Today, will you tell someone about the benefit of making God your refuge? Would you tell someone about your struggle in making him your refuge and the peace you felt once you did? And then tell me, too? I would love to hear your refuge story.
Application
- Tell someone how God provided for you in the refuge either face to face, email, or postal mail.
- Ask to hear someone else’s story of God’s faithfulness in their lives.
- Here’s a song for your heart: Overcome by Jeremy Camp
With grace,
Jessica
Ps. I write to encourage ordinary people to experience God’s transforming power. God’s grace isn’t bound by our past, our despair, or our shame. Broken, messed up people are welcome. If you enjoyed this article, would you consider subscribing to receive these weekly encouraging notes in your inbox? Your email is safe and your time is sacred. I count both as a gift. Thank-you!
8 Ways Making God Your Refuge Makes You Happy
Blessed is the One Who Makes God Their Refuge
What? I picture myself with death nipping at my heals, my knees torn and bleeding from stumbling, clothes ripped and ragged from racing through briars. I see myself squeaking through the opening into God’s refuge, bent at my waist, gasping for breath. All I feel is relief and suspicion that this God refuge will actually work.
But it does.
Finding refuge in Christ allows me to stand firm in the battle. It strengthens my faith. It enables me to delight in my God.
God, as my refuge, causes my roots to grow deep and wide so that I stay fruitful in times of distress.
I stay fruitful and, even, dare I admit, happy. Blessed is also translated as happy. “Happy is the one who makes God their refuge.” Happy: don’t we all need a triple shot of happy in our days?
The Sermon on the Mount
Making God my refuge brings to life the Sermon on the Mount:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted, blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled, blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:1-10 ESV
The Great Eight
- When my spirit is helpless, I discover God’s kingdom.
- I know comfort in my distress.
- Humility provides abundance.
- My hunger for righteousness is forever satisfied.
- I extend mercy when I receive mercy.
- Purity of heart brings clarity and I see God.
- There’s only room for peace in God’s refuge.
- The persecution that drives me to His refuge brings me to my inheritance.
The Discovery
I discover the kingdom of God when I make Him my refuge. I receive comfort in my distress and know my inheritance. When God is my refuge I am filled and receive mercy. Making God my refuge strips away my ability to affect change in my life and my heart is purified. When I step back and let God fight for me, I promote peace and am called the Daughter of God. Persecution drives me to make God my refuge and there I know his kingdom.
Blessed is the man or woman who runs straight into God’s refuge. Broken. Bleeding. Busted. If you want to be happy despite your circumstances, make God your refuge. You experience blessing. You will know peace in the midst of your fire.
On my Facebook profile, I reminded us that not only is God present to help us, but he is also well proved. He has proven himself over and over and over again that he loves and cares for us and never ever leaves or forsakes us. He is trustworthy. He deserves our devotion.
And as we devote our lives to him within the refuge he provides, we become blessed. Happy.
I could use a blessing, could you?
Let’s determine, together, to run straight into his wide, welcoming arms. We find our refuge, our peace, and our blessings in the sweet place of relationship with him.
Application
- Jot down three big circumstances in your life.
- Compare them to “The Great Eight”
- Consider if one of your big three’s fall under one of The Great Eights. Example: if you’re struggling extending mercy, take some time to ponder how much mercy you’ve received. Or, if God is exposing sin in your heart, take a moment to rejoice that he’s bringing you closer to him.
- Here’s a great resource on happiness and the dare we’re all dared to take: The Happiness Dare by Jennifer Dukes Lee
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