Looking for Refuge?

A few days ago a friend posted that it was a family anniversary. Just one year ago they were given the news that their daughter had lymphoma. They were broken hearted as their world literally stood still.  Yet one year later, they are rejoicing that the diagnosis, treatment and cure is behind them. Their daughter is healed and resuming her life –with her precious little girl and wonderful husband. She said in her post, “My life is forever changed and cherish the blessings we found along the way.” 

She’s not the only person who has been through trauma. Some of you are going through it even now. We have friends who have lost their lives in the battle. We have acquaintances who’ve struggled and hoped and prayed. Some were healed here, some were healed in heaven. But God gets all the glory. 

We don’t know what we’re really made of until life comes apart at the seams. We think that we are going to drown. We can’t breathe. We can’t talk or move. Our shoelaces are untied. Our slip is showing. Our heart is poured out everywhere. Our guts are writhing and we just want to run, but where? We want to quit breathing forever, but we can’t. We’re undone.  We are absolutely certain we won’t make it.

But God comes in. He steps into the situation, into our shoes and does the remarkable. He helps us. He stitches us back together with His truth. He resuscitates us with His presence. He speaks to our dry bones so they move again. He ties up our shoelaces, readjusts our demeanor and holds us tight – oh so tight!

Oh beloved, do you hear that? That’s God speaking! He’s saying to you this morning, listen beloved. I AM going before you into this situation and I AM going to walk you through it and back out again. Hear that? It is My Word comforting your fearful heart. Feel that? It’s My arm holding you up. It’s My hand guiding you down this narrow path of darkness and dread. See that? It’s My light shining in your presence so you can walk without stumbling, dance without music and leap without knowing what is ahead. I AM that I AM and because of that, you can trust Me no matter what you are going through. In the disappointment, in the sickness, in the bad news, in the valley of the shadow of death.  I will make your hard times, hard places and hard reports into a testimony of My love, My care and My faithfulness – no matter what.

God loves you, so what have you to fear, what have you to dread? God is for you, so let Him sew you up, pick you up and stand you up. Life is sure to have its ups and downs – way down at times. But with God, we can make it because regardless of what’s at the end of the tunnel, God is with us and that’s all that really matters anyway!

Isaiah 40:31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Psalm 112:7 They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.

Psalm 23:4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!

Psalm 57:1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to You for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of Your wings until the danger passes by.

A Cure for Heart Ailments is Available!

One of our friends recently broke his ankle. While being x-rayed, his wife, working in the field of heart technology, noticed some plaque in the veins of his foot.  This led to him having an arteriogram to make sure his heart had no significant blockage. Had he not had a broken foot, they would not have found the plaque, which could have led to much more serious problems down the road. Upon testing, it was found that he had no significant problems that required stints or open heart surgery. Another of our friends arrived home from the hospital yesterday, after having bypass surgery because they did find significant problems. Either of these friends could have had real problems had they not been checked out. On the outside you could not tell that either of them had any problems at all, but inside, where you cannot see without special equipment, there were some problems.   

Everyone has heart problems of some kind. We’ve either been hurt, rejected, discarded or misunderstood. Some folks hold those problems deep in their heart for years. On the outside it all seems fine, but a circumstance or situation could cause the problem to flare up.  Sometimes it seems like the same hurts come up over and over again, so that the problem becomes very hurtful. Without the proper equipment and the right person taking care of it, hurt and rejection can cause much damage.

But the Lord is our Great Physician. He sees inside the heart, where no one else can see. Many times we don’t even know there’s a hurt or pain inside, but God does. His desire is that we be healed of those pains and problems. He never intends that we walk around with the rejection and depression of heart issues.  Unlike true heart patients, who sometimes have damage beyond repair, with the Lord no issue of the heart is beyond His healing touch.  He will heal us of all the pain and agony, if we let Him in completely.

I know so many of you are hurting this morning. You woke up with the same pain you went to bed with last night. You’ve tried to forgive, wash it out of your mind, replace it with other things and more.  You’ve avoided certain people, situations and things. Still the agony of Unforgiveness, rejection, fear, sorrow or accusations touches your heart daily.  You want to crawl into a hole and leave the world alone, but that won’t solve the problems of the heart either. Unless you let the Lord in to examine the depths of the problem and give those problems to Him you are destined to continue to live less than full capacity in the Lord.

Oh beloved, make an appointment with your Heart Healer this morning. Right now He is available, His calendar is free.  He has been wooing you to come to Him and waiting for you with a complete healing of the heart! This touch from God is freely given and permanently healed. Won’t you look into His Word and let Him touch your heart and give you the freedom you so greatly want and need? With God’s touch you will be able to run through the trials of life and stay strong and vibrant. He is your Healer and He says to you this morning, I AM the Lord that heals you. I AM the One who has all the answers. I AM your answer and your strength and your joy. If you will let Me, I will restore the hurts and cause you great joy. If you will sit with Me and take My medication, the Word of God, I will do more than you can ever imagine. I love you so much that I gave my Son on the cross to heal you completely. I am for you, so that your heart issues can be relieved as you live in the Light of My Word!

Take it all to Jesus! He will answer you, He will heal you and He will give you new strength and purpose to live for Him!

Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Psalm 62:8 O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.

Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.

Psalm 107:20 He sent out His word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.

Under His Wings is Your Refuge

I have always loved chickens. From the time as a little girl watching my uncle feed them to being an adult and having a few of my own.  A friend of my parents gave my kids a bantam hen and rooster back in the day.  The hen had a passel of chicks. She and the rooster were black as coal and the baby chicks were too. They were fun to watch and fun to listen to. She had different voices for different events. Often you could hear her cooing quietly. At that sound they would run up to her and gather under her wings. She took incredible care of those babes of hers.

One day we had a dangerous visitor.   I was in the house and I heard a hawk calling nearby.  I looked out the window as the mother hen began cackling loudly and running everywhere!  I raced outside to run the hawk off and found only the mother hen.  It appeared that every one of her babies was lost to the hawk’s wily abilities.  I was just sad as I returned inside the house to finish up whatever chore I was involved in.

Sometime later I was sitting at the window resting and watching the beautiful woods in our back yard. I could hear the mother hen still talking softly from underneath the back porch.  I guessed she was missing her babies as much as I was. Suddenly baby chicks appeared from nowhere!  They popped out from under the thick bed of leaves at the back of the yard.  They ran over to their mother, who once again gathered them up under her wings and spoke soft mother hen talk to them.

I was amazed. That mother hen had instructed her babies to hide! And when time had passed and the danger was gone, she called them out from the safety of the leaves. What looked like a disaster was simply the love of a mother protecting her babies.

Oh beloved, are you having a hard time? Are you wondering how you got in trouble, got left out alone, got in danger or worse? Are you wondering if you will ever feel protected, safe and secure again? Maybe you’re sure that no one will ever rescue you or keep you safe. God sees your life and He knows every detail, from the mistakes you make to the transgressions that come against you. He is the One Who has kept you all these years and He is the One Who will see you safely home! Trust Him this morning, for under His wings is your refuge. Look to His Word as your guidance for under His Banner is your safety. Because of His incredible love for you He will never fail you or forsake you and on that alone you can rely!

Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

Psalm 36:7 How precious is Your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings.

1 Samuel 2:9 He will protect His faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone.

Psalm 138:7 Though I am surrounded by troubles, You will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out Your hand, and the power of Your right hand saves me.

When Storms Come Get Ready to Report!

As I watch the Weather Channel, I am amazed that those reporters will stand outside to report, even in the gales of hurricanes! As the storm approaches they begin to find it harder and harder to stand.  The wind and the rain beat against them with all the forces of nature. Hats are blown off and jackets are flapping. But those reporters, having been given the task of informing the public, make their stand. No matter what, they hold their ground through it all.   

They could walk away. They could focus on the storm and say it’s not worth it. They could become afraid of the bad weather.  They could get mad at the station manager for giving them that dangerous assignment.  Or, they could remember their calling and hold their ground. 

Are you thinking about walking away this morning? Where is your focus? On the storm? Are you focusing on your wants and your feelings?  Are you losing your footing and thinking that enough is enough? Whatever your feelings, whatever storm is raging in your life, God is with you!  No storm lasts forever, but God’s people do. 

Oh beloved when the storms of life are raging, stand with the Lord! Stand under His wings, kneel in the shadow of His Name and hold on for your life! When the storm subsides, not only will you be standing, you will have something wonderful to report to the people! God reigns! God’s Word is True! He will see you through. You will be reporting that the storm you went through could not overtake you, the flood you walked through could not drown you, the momentary light afflictions could not get you off your mark! Because God loves you and He’s for you, no matter your circumstances, no matter the weather, that’s all that really matters.

Isaiah 4:6 It will be a shelter from daytime heat and a hiding place from storms and rain.

Isaiah 25:4 But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat. For the oppressive acts of ruthless people are like a storm beating against a wall

Ephesians 6:10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

1 Chronicles 16:8  Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done.

Hijacked by Malicious Thinking? Run to God's Word for Protection!

One of my friends was telling me yesterday that when she got home from work she discovered a pop up on her computer.  It read that it was a warning from the FBI, something like this “Warning. Your computer has been blocked due to illegal downloads of music.” It went on to give detailed instructions to go to the local discount store, purchase a $200 money card and go to their website. Enter that money in the website for the fine and the owner of the computer would then have their computer unlocked. Imagine the person who has been downloading music finding this on their computer. The hijacker who built the program desires to get rich at the expense of an unwitting computer owner.  

Malware. Malicious programming appearing real that hijacks your computer. Some malware is fairly benign. Other programs are serious business. From minor irritation to complete ruination of the hard drive, malware is rampant. If we don’t keep our virus software updated and turned on anyone one of us is subject to succumbing to this nuisance.

We too as believers are subject to malicious programming.  The enemy of our souls wants to speak lies and half truths into our hearts. His desire is to strike terror and make us believe we have to pay over and over again for things in our life that we try to overcome.  If he can hijack our faith he can render us useless in the Kingdom of God.

Oh beloved, are you feeling tortured by past regrets and future fears? Are they playing over and over in the screen of your mind and heart? Have you tried to pay up only to find that the cost is way too high? Run to the Lord this morning and tell Him all your troubles. He will restore you to right standing with Him and He will wipe your life clean by His atoning blood.  Not only that, His Word is your best protection against the viruses of life that will try to come back on you.  His love is your complete protection, His Word is your soul survival and His promises are your road of blessing. Unlike computer hijacks that can wipe out your computer, God’s Word always restores and always covers so that we can always walk in the Light of His Word! What a Savior! What a Protector! Thank Him today for His unspeakable gift!

2 Samuel 22:3 my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.

Psalm 31:4  Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in You alone.

Psalm 91:4  He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

Proverbs 30:5  Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to Him for protection.

Isaiah 33:21  The LORD will be our Mighty One. He will be like a wide river of protection that no enemy can cross, that no enemy ship can sail upon.