Are you ever weary? Do you wonder why some things in life are just so hard? Do you ever dream of a remote hide-a-way? I shouldn’t be shocked when life slaps me alongside the head. But I kinda am. I sometimes don’t understand why troubles should come if God loves me. Doesn’t God’s love guarantee a trouble free life?
It is said that in this world we will have trouble, but to take heart because Jesus has overcome the world. This verse can be encouraging and discouraging all at once. We try and avoid trouble, pain and heartache. But it’s part of life. And a life lived to its fullest needs to experience all the emotions this life offers.
However, sometimes it’s difficult to decipher if the trouble is a result of our own choices and actions or if we’ve been allured to the desert like Hosea. Either way, our troubles offer us opportunities to grow in faith and love and to put action to the words we say we believe in, such as: “I trust You.” or “He never leaves me nor forsakes me.”
Trust the Giver
Sometimes, though, we begin looking to our own abilities to help us through our troubles. We all have strengths or defaults we return to again and again. For some, it involves emotional stuffing where we don’t recognize the feelings of abandonment or anger or angst. For others, it involves working harder and longer in order to prove to ourselves and others that we have it all together. Still others, give up, so their walk with Christ often looks like two steps forward, three steps back.
It’s common to run to other things when life feels out of control and God appears to have abandoned us. How does he seem to do this? By not showing up when we demand, or answering that prayer the way we want or by not making other people behave the way we think they should. Yes, I try to boss God around, and be strong in my own strength. But the more I’m strong in my own strength the weaker I feel.
I need the reminder that it’s not my abilities or giftings that save me or help me. It’s God. He is the one who makes my way clear, one step at a time. He is the one who holds me up when I cannot stand up. I trust his eyes more than my own.
It is God who saves and so we boast in him. We say to ourselves: He is strong and if I rest in him, he will carry me to victory. God is the giver of your abilities. Everything you have that enables you to navigate through this life comes straight from him.
Do you want victory in your life? Begin by trusting in the giver of the gifts rather than your abilities.
“For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us. In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever.” Psalm 44:6-8
Application
What ability do you have a tendency to turn to when life gets hard?
List 3 attributes of God that you can boast about. It might be joy, strength, peace, power, comforter, redeemer, righteousness, portion, or provider. Choose three that resonate with you.
How are they are evident in your life? Say a prayer of praise.
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 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
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.
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