Saturday, February 7, 2009

Person, Place or Thing

"I will appoint a place of refuge..." Exodus 21:13

Refuge - That which shelters or protects from danger, or from distress or calamity; a stronghold which protects by its strength, or a sanctuary which secures safety by its sacredness; a place inaccessible to an enemy (as defined by Websters).

As a little girl I found refuge in several different places. A building that offered protection from nature's elements. A classroom that shielded me from the cruelty of the playground. Under my covers. My bedroom. Behind a closed door. Beneath a guarded heart. I was finding refuge in places and things, when true refruge is only found in a Person.

Sometimes it takes a lot of running to find that perfect shelter. Refuge must be redefined from a place to a Person. God's Word says, "Blessed are those who take refuge in Him", Psalm 2:12. I am so glad I now say with the Psalmist, "Oh God You are my refuge" Psalm 142:5.

Is He your refuge today?

(This song is powerful, but for those of you with dial-up, I've included the lyrics below.)



Made Me Glad - Hillsong United

I will bless the Lord forever
I will trust Him at all times
He has delivered me from all fear
He has set my feet upon a rock
I will not be moved
And I'll say of the Lord

You are my shield, my strength
My portion, deliverer
My shelter, strong tower
My very present help in time of need

Whom have I in heaven but You
There's none I desire beside You
You have made me glad
And I'll say of the Lord

You are my shield, my strength
My portion, deliverer
My shelter, strong tower
My very present help in time of need

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2 comments:

Sharon Sloan said...

Oh, indeed HE is our refuge! He is our shelter! We can be safe in the shelter of His wings!

Wow..."Beneath a guarded heart"....how true at times. Thankfully, He is faithful to beckon us to Himself...our Strong Tower.

Joy...I love your writing! You are refreshing!

PS -- I am reading the NIV Chronological Bible. (Are you doing NLT??) I don't stray from KJV, NKJV or NIV too much. And I have an NIV study Bible, which is so helpful! :)

Bonita said...

Great word, Joy!