Place or person, who is your refuge?

August 16, 2019August 16, 2019 nofearlinda2 Comments

How many times have you said, “God is my refuge”? These are words that David repeatedly spoke about God. By definition a refuge is a place of shelter or protection from danger or difficulty, or it can be a person who gives shelter, help or comfort. David spent 14 years running from King Saul after being anointed the future king by Samuel. He was hunted, attacked and driven into the wilds away from friends, family and others.

David refers to God as his refuge, a place of safety, in Psalm 91:1-2 and 91:9-10. ” He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
²I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.” 91:9-10 “⁹Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
    the Most High, who is my refuge —
¹⁰no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.” Abiding with God in your heart, soul and mind each day gives you a refuge, a safe place where you can depend upon God to shelter and protect you.

David also saw God as his refuge, a person who brings protection, help or comfort. In Psalm 62:5-7 David describes his refuge relationship with God. “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
    for my hope is from him.
⁶He only is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
⁷On God rests my salvation and my glory;
    my mighty rock, my refuge is God. David sees God as the one who keeps him secure, steadfast and is his provider of salvation.

Psalm 59:16-17 “But I will sing of your strength;
    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
    and a refuge in the day of my distress.
¹⁷O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress,
    the God who shows me steadfast love. David is so thankful that God is his refuge providing him with protection, steadfast love and comfort.

Is this the lens through which you see God? Is He your place and person of protection, safely, love and comfort? He can be that and more. Look to Him today and ask Him to draw near to you and He will just as he promised in James 4:7-8. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” David repeatedly resisted the desire and opportunity to kill Saul which would have ended his running, but he did not yield to that temptation and kept drawing nearer to God depending upon Him for refuge. God can do the same for you.

Linda

God is mighty in battle!

August 13, 2019 nofearlinda1 Comment

These last few weeks have been a trial of strength and endurance as I have moved from one place to another. Gathering, boxing, hauling, pondering where to put things, deciding what I need and what should go are all actions filled with stressful joy. I have found strength in the Lord and in His people. The Bible often speaks of the mighty hand of God, His mighty deeds or works, His mighty arm, power and strength but the description I held onto is God is mighty in battle. He was right there with me seeing to the details of this move that brought people to help at just the right time with just the resources that were needed! Psalm 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!” David saw God as mighty, strong and one who would go with him into battle. He goes on in verses 9-10 to tell us that God is strong and mighty and He will help us in our battles if we will let Him in. “Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. ¹⁰Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!”

How are you doing in the battles life is bringing your way? Are you trying to go it alone or are you willing to open yourself to the mighty helping hand of God? We need to let Him come into our lives to receive His help and blessing. He is all around us and standing in wait, won’t you ask Him to come into you today? Revelation 3:20 promises Jesus’ availability at all times, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Ask Him into your battles, He is strong and mighty and will give you strength, guidance, help and courage to prevail in whatever circumstances you find yourself. Cling to Him, He is mighty in the battle of life! Have Him by your side and on your side and you will be victorious. Be of good courage the battle is His!

Linda

God is my strength!

August 2, 2019August 2, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

God is my strength! Are these words you would speak freely, often and with great conviction? The Bible is filled with words of praise to the Father for the strength that God provided to His beloved people in both the Old and New Testaments. Moses proclaimed in Exodus 2:15 after crossing the Red Sea and seeing the Egyptian army defeated. “The Lord is my strength and my defense;  he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,  my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” David proclaimed praises to God for delivering him from Saul in Psalm 18:32 “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.” Proclaiming praises to God for His deliverance and strength uplifts our spirit and pleases God. David penned in Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him.  Do you have praises for Almighty God today for the strength and deliverance He has provided in your life? Or maybe you are struggling to find strength. David prayed for strength as he pleaded with God in Psalm 71:9 “Do not cast me away when I am old;  do not forsake me when my strength is gone.” Whether it is due to age or overwhelming circumstances, we can pray and ask God for strength to face our challenges. Paul often directed believers pray for spiritual strength, Ephesians 3:13-14 “So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. For this reason I kneel before the Father,” and gospel power strength in doing God’s work, 2 Timothy 2:1-2 “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”

The Bible teaches we can pray and ask God for strength but then we need to trust in God’s strength as it has amazing power. He can not only give us physical strength but He can dispel fear. Isaiah 41:10 gives me great hope. “Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God promises to be with us and hold us in His righteous right hand which is another name for Jesus. Jesus will hold us! We also find in Habakkuk 3:19 that God’s strength can enable us do do things we cannot do on our own and will renew us in the process! “God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.”

So today, I really need this message as I am facing a move for good and pleasant reasons but a move nonetheless. I need physical and spiritual strength, and I know God can and will provide for me. I only need ask Him. I pray you can trust God enough to call upon His strength today for your needs. He will be with you and give you just what you need for strength, renewal or comfort.

Have a blessed day.

Linda

Redeemer, I’m so thankful God that You sent Jesus.

July 30, 2019 nofearlinda1 Comment

Do you know God as your Redeemer? In the Old Testament God refers to himself as Redeemer in Isaiah 44:24 “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,” Because God is creator of all things, only He has the power to redeem, buy back or save His creation. If you know God as your Savior and Redeemer you are in the know just like Job, David, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Zachariah and Paul who referred to God as their Redeemer. Read their powerful words and claim them for yourself today.

Job 19:25-26 “For I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
²⁶And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
    yet in my flesh I shall see God,” Job knew the eternal God as his Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” David knew God was his Redeemer and desired to be humble before Him.

Isaiah 47:4 “Our Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is his name— is the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah knew God as his Redeemer and revered His name.

Luke 1:68 ““Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.” Zachariah prophesied the coming of Jesus as our Redeemer.

Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” Paul knew that Jesus’ death on the cross redeemed us from the curse of sin.

What about you? Can you say that God is your Redeemer? We like to save money by using coupons as we shop. They help us to redeem more money than we deserve. Jesus did that for us by paying the full price for sin on the cross. We are able to be redeemed as we put our trust and faith in Him knowing He is always faithful to carry out His work within us. This is my prayer for you today from Ephesians 3:17-20 “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. ²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Amen.

Linda

Our Righteous Judge, you can count on on Him!

July 25, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Both the Old and New Testaments, present God as Judge. He is the ultimate authority of all the universe He created both now and in the future. In Psalm 7:10-11 David tells us that God is a righteous judge who defends those who love Him and grieves over the sin of those who reject Him. “My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. ¹¹God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.” All creation speaks of God’s righteousness and place as judge, Psalm 50:6 “The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Selah Solomon in his wisdom knew God’s place as judge, Ecclesiastes:3:17. “I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.” Paul reminds Timothy that Jesus will be our eternal judge in 2 Timothy 4:1 “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:” Peter also wrote to Christians who were struggling with holiness in their lives. He reminds them of who God is and who they can rely upon in Christ. “1 Peter 1:17-20 “And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, ¹⁸knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

We can trust God as the righteous judge as we know He is just, impartial and loves all those He created. God knows what He is doing and has proved himself to mankind in the past, 2 Peter 2:9 “then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.” Peter was referring to God rescuing righteous Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. If he could do that for Lot, He is capable of handling anything. He is righteous and sees who we really are in our deepest being. We can rely upon His mercy, compassion and justice.

Many people like to only think of God as loving, holy and righteous, but God is so much more, and as creator He has the right and authority to judge all sin. He made a way for us to escape the judgement of sin in our lives through Jesus and His work on the cross. 1 John 9:11 tell us how we can find freedom from the judgement that is upon all the world because of sin. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Confess your sins today, keep short accounts with God and do not let sin stay in your heart and reject it from your life through power of Jesus. He is the perfect judge, just in all things and He desires for us to stand righteous before Him.

Linda

Do you need a fortress in your life?

July 10, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

David uses the image of God as his fortress as he describes who he feels and sees God is in his life. By definition a fortress is a fortified place for protection. David praised God for his deliverance from his enemies and from the murderous pursuit by Saul his king. “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,” 2 Samuel 2:22 Repeatedly in Psalms David refers to God as his fortress. Psalm 31:3 “For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;” Psalm 59:9 “O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress.” This psalm was written when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him. Later in verse 16-17 David writes, “But I will sing of your strength;
    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
    and a refuge in the day of my distress.
¹⁷O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress,
    the God who shows me steadfast love.

The beautiful and uplifting words of Psalm 91:1-4 resonate with David’s love, trust and complete confidence in the God, who is his fortress.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
²I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

³For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.”

David knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was his fortress, safe haven and refuge from all the evil men and deeds that came at him. He lived with confidence in God’s merciful protection that would cover him as he walked through each circumstance. Do you have that kind of trust in God? Have you walked with Him through hard times and seen His hand upon your life? The more we know God day to day and walk with Him, study His Word, pray, praise and worship will we grow in trust and confidence in God’s eternal protection of our souls. He is indeed our fortress, our safe place in this swirling world but also our safe haven for eternity. Praise God for His great name and character today as you seek to walk with Him. Claim Him as your fortress. He is solid and can be relied upon at all times in all places.

Linda

Does God provide the light in your life?

July 9, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Light When we say the word light, many things come to mind- glowing illumination, brightness, no more darkness, hope, direction, guidance….. In Psalm 27 David speaks about the ultimate light of the world, God.

The Lord is my light and my salvation—   With God as his light- whom shall I fear? he knew salvation & no fear
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—   With God as his light-
    of whom shall I be afraid? he knew strength & no fear

²When the wicked advance against me   With God as his light- he knew his enemies
    to devour me, would crumble.
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.
³Though an army besiege me,    With God as his light- he knew he would not
    my heart will not fear; break under pressure but live with confidence though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.

⁴One thing I ask from the Lord, With God as his light- God would always be this only do I seek: with him, making life beautiful
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.

How about you? Is God your light? Jesus tells us in John 8:12 ““I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Having Jesus in your life dispels the darkness of sin, keeps you from living in fear, gives you salvation and strength and makes all things around you to be illuminated by God’s light. Just like David, we can see God’s light and we can know Him personally through His Son.

David ends this Psalm with a reminder to wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.”

Knowing God is light and will provide direction so we can see how to proceed, David admonishes us to wait for the Lord. I know, easier said than done, but it is a good reminder that our timetable for things is not the Lord’s. In His light we can walk with confidence and trust His leading as we wait for His perfect timing.

Will you walk seeking God’s light in your life today? Will you grow in trust for Him as you wait His perfect timing? If you are struggling with God’s timing, pray and ask for patience and guidance as you wait upon Him.

Linda

Freedom isn’t free, there is always a cost

July 4, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Freedom-Days I want to wish each of you a Happy 4th. The 4th of July is a favorite holiday filled with BBQ’s, games, swimming, picnicking, corn on the cob, apple pie and fireworks. But as you know, the 4th is more than that to each of us. The freedom we enjoy in America was bought with a price. The cost to those that came before us was filled with sacrifice, hope and struggle. It continues to cost those who labor daily in the military to ensure our freedom. Our struggle over the centuries has been to secure, defend and maintain freedom of religion, peace, prosperity and hope for us and our children. We desire to live in an unbiased, loving and accepting society. Is this possible? Actually, I believe it is NOT possible without Christ. He is the one who can make all things right and gives us the power to love and live in harmony with others.

Today’s thoughts of freedom bring me to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and Galatians 5:1. Paul was teaching the Corinthians how to live together in harmony and purity. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own: you have been bought at price. Therefore honor God with your body.” Paul was reminding the Galatians what they had in Christ and that it should be their desire and ours to honor God in all we say and do. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves by burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Christ died for us so that we might be free from sin and its bondage and have the ability to live lives that honor Him. The cross was the ultimate sacrifice for us. Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” He bought us with a price, his life. He redeemed us from sin’s ultimate consequence-death. My freedom in Christ was bought with the price of His life on the cross.

I have FREEDOM in Christ- freedom from my sins, freedom to live for Him, freedom from eternal death and freedom to live with Him for eternity. Just as we are thankful for those who died to secure the freedom we have in America, we need to be thankful for the freedom we have in Christ alone. He is the one who secures it all and brings us to the place where we can enjoy freedom.

freedom Today as you are thankful for America, think also of the greater freedom you have though Christ and say a prayer of Thanks to Jesus.

Thankful today,

Linda

Where does your strength come from?

June 28, 2019June 26, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

We know that God is mighty in strength as scripture is filled with references to God’s strength. David praised God’s strength in his song of thanksgiving in 1 Chronicles 16:10-11 when he had the ark brought to Jerusalem. “Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.¹¹Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” David knew seeking God was the correct action to receive strength at all times. Later in Psalms he writes how God strengthen his heart in Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” , equips and brings righteousness with His strength Psalm 18:32 “the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.”, and His strength brings blessing Psalm 84:5 “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.”

There are so many others who wrote about God’s strength. Isaiah proclaimed God’s strength for those in need in Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength“. Habakkuk proclaimed God’s strength and ability to lift him above his circumstances in Habakkuk 3:19 “God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.”

In the New Testament we are encouraged to seek God’s strength through prayer. Luke 21:36 Jesus exhorts the disciples to pray for the strength to combat the temptations of the world that would lead us astray, “But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Paul reminds us in Ephesians to pray for strength that comes through faith and trust in Christ, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,” Ephesians 3:14-18 In Philippians Paul pens one of my favorite verses about God’s strength, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

What do you know and feel about God’s strength? Is His strength accessible to you in prayer? Do you ask for His strength daily in your life or only when you are in times of great need? Scripture shows us that God’s strength is available to us so that we may be strong of heart, filled with love and conviction for Christ, equipped to do His work and to be able to stand in adversity. Philippians 4:13 would even go so far as to say God can make the impossible possible through His strength. Do not be lacking in strength because you neglected to pray and ask for strength. Jesus said in John 16:24 “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” James 4:2 “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.” We know God desires us to be strong and living in His strength daily, so ask Him for strength whenever you need it.

Be comforted and encouraged by His strength in your life today!

Linda

Is God your Rock?

June 25, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

David was well aware of God as his Rock. In Psalm 18:1-3 he uses this image of God when proclaiming his thanks for God’s strength in protecting him from murderous Saul. David struggled with Saul chasing him and seeking to kill him for over 10 years. David trusted God and His plan and timing to make him king.

I love you, Lord, my strength.

²The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

³I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.

Since David struggled for so many years against the elements as a shepherd, a boy facing Goliath, as a fugitive and as a king with many battles to face, the Psalms are filled with his reliance upon God as his rock and source of his faith.

Psalm 19:14 “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Psalm 62:1-2 “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.
²Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”

Psalm 71:1-3 “In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.
²In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me.
³Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.”

David proclaims God as his Rock as well as fortress, deliverer, refuge, stronghold, salvation, redeemer and righteous God. David knew from experience that God was faithful, and he could depend upon Him. Can you proclaim who God is to you? Let David’s words seep into you thoughts today and give you confidence and strength in God. Hebrews 13:8 tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” and James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ” The God who David trusted and loved is the same God we serve. He does not change from generation to generation and we can depend upon Him just like David.

Prayer: Thank you Father that you are the same yesterday, today and forever. Your character and ideals do not change or shift with the times and whims of man. You are my rock and can hold me steady as I face the storms in my life. You are to be praised for you are always faithful and seek to do and bring good into my life. Help me to be depend upon your strength and character so I may live fully for you. Amen.