November 26, 2014

Running to the Refuge {Day 26}: Refuge unto Testimony

This is day 26 of a month-long series.  Catch up on previous posts here.


When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by your right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.


These are words of Asaph from the end of Psalm 73.  I love how he describes God's relationship to him in the middle stanza.  He had found himself jealous of the wicked who seemed to be prospering all around him.  Then he enters the sanctuary of God (v. 17) and was reminded of the big picture and the sweetness of dwelling in the Refuge.  Then, he closes his song with the words, I will tell of all your deeds.


If you have run to the Refuge, or better said, if the Refuge has enabled you to run to Him in faith, you have a story to tell!  You have a testimony to the goodness, greatness, and majesty of God's saving love.  Asaph knew the stories of God's work on behalf of Israel, whether or not she deserved it.  He also knew the stories of God's work in his own life.  And he wanted to tell of God's deeds because it was so very good to be near God.

When we tell of God's deeds we extol Him and we extend an invitation to our hearers.  Hey, I've got this safe place and He's a person and here's what He has done in the world and in my life.  This hope is for you, too!  Look at God; He is amazing!!  And he loves YOU!!!


Testimony declares the glory of God and points others to Him.


But it does something else too, which was highlighted to me this morning when I read a friend's lament about the state of the world and her desire to get away from it, (a feeling to which I can often relate).  Here it is:


Testimony declares the glory of God and points us to Him.


We forget too easily the power of God to effect change in our hearts, in the hearts of others, and in the world.  Remembering and testifying to His deeds keeps our eyes pointed in the right direction, our minds meditating on truth, and our hearts at peace.


Testimony gives hope.
Testimony restores hope.


My friends, run to the Refuge this Thanksgiving weekend.  Our hearts and our flesh may fail, but God is the strength of our hearts and our portion forever.


Running Orders:

  • You know what I'm going to suggest, right?  Testify today!  Tell someone, your spouse, a friends, your kid(s), your parents, your neighbor, etc., about God's deeds.
  • Meditate on the verses above, Psalm 73:21-28, and ask God to speak to you from His Word.


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