Devotional Christian » safety

Shelter from the Storms

Patricia Day — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:20:38 +0000

Life can deliver some pretty horrendous ‘storms’. Storms of nature can often be survived, by taking shelter inside or under sturdy structures that will not succumb to the powerful forces of nature.

Psalm 55:1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take my refuge, until these calamities have passed by. (NKJV)

The storms and troubles that beset us as humans can be many, and we might flounder and seek guidance from wrong sources. When we are overwhelmed by the ‘stuff’ of our lives and we feel we have nowhere to run to, or anyone to turn to, let us remember that God can and does offer us complete spiritual and emotional safety and protection. To receive this we need to welcome Him into our lives and trust Him. We need to cover ourselves with His armour each and every day, giving thanks for all that we have – family, friends, homes and work.

I am lax at times, in doing this – but as my day struggles to begin I quickly realize that I have allowed myself to become distracted with a myriad of routines that quickly devour the peace of each day, if I allow them to.

I then quietly settle my thinking and focus on donning the helmet of salvation; the breastplate of righteousness and the belt of truth. I ‘place’ the shoes of the gospel of peace on my feet and pick up the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit, take a deep breath and THEN begin my day again; this time with right thinking and with God’s purpose. (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Prayer: Father God, in our efforts to be good and faithful, we sometimes get caught in the deluge of lifes’ storms. Help us to seek and find the right shelter; discern best help as well as, the safest place to be that we might be protected from all that is not of You. In Jesus Name. Amen

Patricia Day

http://pepeprays.wordpress.com

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Refuge for my children

Hariette Petersen — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:15:04 +0000

Do you worry about the future of your children? Your grandchildren? The world is threatening. Today’s culture seems bent on destroying all that is innocent, pure, and magical for our children. Children are constantly bombarded with information most adults can’t digest or comprehend. Children are given responsibilities and are forced to make decisions that were once left to parents. The wonderment of life is crushed beneath the reality of government making choices for their well-being, choices that should be left only with mom and dad. Children are taught that scientific theories trump faith. Politically correct tolerance trumps parental consent and oversight. Government intervention is said to be the answer for all their ills–responsibility and accountability are for someone else. Rules are said to apply to all, but actually only apply to some. It’s a fearful thing to consider at times. But there is hope.

“In the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children shall always have a place of refuge.” Proverbs 14:26

We need not allow ourselves to be consumed by what the world around us is doing. Their threats are nothing to one who trusts in the Lord–for those who worshipfully fear Him and rely on Him. He is our confidence, not the world and its foreboding dangers. Nothing intimidates God. Nothing contaminates, nor cancels out His sovereign watchcare. Menacing hazards that scream in our faces, perils that whisper omens of fear in our ears–they are empty, hollow, mutterings to the Most High God, El Elyon. As we entrust our lives to God, we have confidence that He will care for our children. He will give them a place of refuge in Christ as we guide them and lead them to the knowledge of His saving grace. The world holds no threat that our security in Christ cannot withstand. He is the Victor. He has overcome the world.

PRAYER: Lord, keep us ever mindful of Your watchcare. You love us so much. Remind us of this in the dark hours of oppression we encounter. In our faithlessness, remind us of Your faithfulness. Let us rest in You with the confidence You alone can give.

Refuge in the Lord

Chris Roberts — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:42:26 +0000

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.
Nahum 1:7

Where do you go in your day of trouble? What stronghold provides your comfort? Is it the crumbling and shifting sand of the world, seeking entertainment to distract you from pain or distress? Do you find solace in food, feeding your sorrow? There are many things that call to us in the day of trouble but only one that provides true safety and comfort.

The Lord has promised himself as a stronghold in the day of trouble. Unlike the fortresses offered by the world, his walls cannot be torn down. His defenses are not made of air. His arm is mighty to save and the Lord has bent his arm for the good of his children.

When the world comes calling, offering its wares for comfort and safety, it does not care about those who seek it out. Satan has no interest in the people of this world. His only interest is tearing down the work of God. We are just a means to an end. But God loves his people. He extends himself to us freely and graciously. And he tells us that he knows us. All those who find their rest in him are known by him. He knows your life. He knows your trouble. He knows your sorrow. He knows what stronghold is needed in your life today. He knows you, and he has given himself for you.

Rest, Christian, in the mighty, gracious, generous arms of God. He is our shelter and strength, our stronghold in the day of trouble.

Are Christians Called to Suffer?

Chris Roberts — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:10:44 +0000

But the Lord has said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
Acts 9:15-16

We are inclined to choose the easy path. When faced with a decision about the Lord’s will we let potential hardship sway our choice. But God had determined that Paul’s path would run through hardship and suffering. He is a chosen instrument of mine, declared the Lord, to carry my name… Paul would carry the name of Christ through many lands but in the process he must suffer for the sake of my name.

There are times when God calls for his children to suffer. Sometimes the suffering comes from forces we cannot avoid: a hurricane, an earthquake, the wickedness of others. But sometimes we are called to put ourselves in the path of suffering. We go to lands where Christianity is outlawed, carrying our possessions in a coffin for we know this is a one-way trip. We move into the inner city to bring light into the darkness. We visit housing projects to share the love of Christ. And we give up fame, fortune, and prestige, all for the glory of God.

In Peru there is a native Quechua pastor named Joshua Sauñe spreading the gospel among people scattered throughout the Andes mountains. He once said, “I do not always understand missionaries. They come in but leave when troubles grow. I want to ask them, ‘What, are you afraid of going to Heaven?’”

Christian, the Lord does not always call you to easy things. He will often call you to suffer for the sake of his name. But do not let such hardships stop you from obeying the Lord’s will. Live instead like those saints in Hebrews 11:16 who desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

This world is not my home and in the Lord I find my comfort and safety. Therefore I will follow him wherever he leads, even if it be through the valley of the shadow of death.