Thankful for My Refuge

O. T.#643  "Thankful for My Refuge"
November 26, 2015

"It's all because of Jesus I'm alive," says the song. Think about it-He planned out our life and provided for our salvation before we were born, created us and placed us in the right family and town, then revealed Himself to us through salvation. Down through the years, Jesus has protected us, provided for us, forgiven us of our wanderings and mistakes (sins), and continues to love us anyway, every day, for all eternity. We can experience His presence through the Holy Spirit and He never leaves us. He continues to shower us with grace and mercy. He is my Refuge to whom I can run in time of need. We have so much to be thankful for, don't we?


Psalm 100 says:
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.

In thinking about David, we can see where God guided his steps (chapter 22), guarded his life (chapter 23), and gave him grace (chapter 24). Satan used Saul to seek to kill David, but God was too strong for the enemy. As long as David sought the mind of the Lord, God gave him protection and victory. David had victory at Keilah, in the wilderness, and over the Ziphites.     (Wiersbe) 

Swindoll, in his book entitled David, A Story of Passion and Destiny, says:
Do you need to duck into a cave today and find encouragement like David?

Psalm 31:1 says, In Thee, O LORD, I have taken refuge.

The Hebrew term refuge speaks of a protective place, a place of safety and security and secrecy. David tells the Lord that He-Jehovah God-became his refuge.
Why do we need a refuge?

1. We need a refuge because we are in distress and sorrow accompanies us.
2. We need a refuge because we are sinful and guilt accuses us.
3. We need a refuge because we are surrounded by adversaries and misunderstanding assaults us.

Why not share David's shelter? The One he called my Strength...my Mighty Rock...my Fortress...my Stronghold...my High Tower. (Ps. 62) We know Him today by another name: Jesus. He is still available... even to cave dwellers, lonely people needing someone to care.


Happy Thanksgiving to all! May your cup overflow as the Lord blesses you and your family!
Linda