Running to the Refuge {Day 15}: Refuge from Shame

I am so sad I was not able to get to this post on Saturday, but some family things came up that took precedent.  Then I couldn't get into my blog to write when I did have the time.  Sigh.  But I know you all are forgiving, so I thank you!

I have been looking forward to reflecting on God as our refuge from shame, because I live too often either in the shadow of shame or in fear of being shamed.  The Lord does not want you and me to live that way. 

Truth is, no one I know wants to be shamed or feel shame; we try to avoid those experiences or keep them secret at all costs  How, then, is God a refuge from shame, so we can stop being afraid of it?!

He is a refuge from shame in two ways, because there are two different definitions of shame,* as I have been alluding.   One is "a feeling of guilt, regret or sadness that you have because you know you've done something wrong."  The other is "dishonor or disgrace."  Usually we bring the first upon ourselves and the other is done to us.  In either, we can run to God our refuge, because He is our Redeemer and our Defender.

As our Redeemer, God forgives our sin and restores us to righteousness.  He is a refuge from guilt, regret, and sadness that result from wrong-doing, because He is the only hope for freedom from those feelings.  He declares, Your sins are forgiven and shame must retreat, taking condemnation with her.

The Lord redeems His servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him.
Psalm 34:22

Our Redeemer gives us refuge from shame, because shame cannot dwell in His I-freed-you-from-guilt shelter.


As our Defender, God surrounds and protects us.  He is a refuge from any way that an enemy might try to shame us.  Boldly the Psalmist prays:

In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
Psalm 71:1

And he goes on petitioning God for rescue, deliverance, protection, and refuge from wicked and evil men.  He knows, as all believers should, that God is our only true hope for honor and grace.  When external forces, tangible and intangible, threaten to dishonor and disgrace us, it is the Lord who will defend our cause, when our cause is His.

Our Defender gives us refuge from shame, because in Him we find real honor and grace.

God is our refuge from shame caused by our enemies and shame caused by our sin.  Is that good news for your weary soul?  It sure is for mine.  Thinking about these things is filling me with joy!  Feelings of shame grow exponentially in the Petri dish of fear.  In the refuge of the Lord, fear evaporates and shame dies for lack of food.  Blessed be the name of the Lord!


Running Orders:

• Is shame a prominent feature in your life?  Do you hide or fear rather than running to the refuge?  Take some time to write down ways shame is keeping you from the refuge, then give those things over to God prayerfully, maybe even physically ripping up the list.

• As I was reading, I spent some time in Psalm 31:19-20 (below).  God has goodness stored up for those who fear Him.  His heart is bursting with desire to pour out His good love on you.  Rejoice and be free!

How great is your goodness
which you have stored up for those who fear you;
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.
In the shelter of your presence
you hide them from the intrigues of men;
in your dwelling you keep them safe
from accusing tongues.

*http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shame

Running to the Refuge {Day 14}: Refuge from Death

This is day 14 in a month-long series.  Please click here for links to previous posts.

When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,

but even in death the righteous have a refuge.

Proverbs 14:32

Even in death the righteous have a refuge?  What does that mean?  Did you know that the Bible teaches that the end of our physical lives does not have to be the end?  Even in death, we have a refuge.  In fact, God is a refuge from death, because He is the giver of life.

Scripture teaches that we are all sinners, separated from God.  It is our sin that keeps us from relationship with our holy Creator.  The punishment for sin is awful:

For the wages of sin is death,

Romans 6:23a

But wait a minute.  Don't we all die?  Isn't that just about the only thing we can be sure of in this life?  Correct.  But the Bible tells the rest of the story.  There is a refuge from death!  Physical death, toil, pain, and tears became part of human experience when Eve and Adam ate the forbidden fruit.  God cursed them and their offspring.  We are born in sin ...

but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:32b

God made a promise in the curses.

He promised that one day the serpent's head would be crushed by a heel he would strike.  Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior of the world, would come and drink the cup of the wrath, becoming a mediator between God and man.  Death would no longer have the final say, because the Light of Life would triumph over it.

Jesus came.  He lived.  He was crucified, died, and was buried.  And on the third day, HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD!

Where, O death, is your victory?Where, O death, is your sting?

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  

1 Corinthians 15:55-57

We have a refuge, even from death.  We can embrace Life now, so that we can know life forever.  For Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.

I am so thankful that my "end" will be a new beginning in the presence of the Lord.  I am so thankful for these earth-roaming years to get to know Him through the Word.  I am so thankful that He is my refuge not only from the trials and tribulations of this life, but also a refuge from  the sting true death, eternal separation from Him.  In Christ, God holds out the gift of eternal life to you and me.  All we need to do is run to that refuge.

Running Orders:

• Do you know the Lord as your refuge from death?  If you do, is eternity with Him something you think about much?  Praise God that even in death you have a refuge!  If you do not know this refuge, would you like to?  Please get in touch with me asap to pray together!

• Read and meditate on the story of Jesus talking with Nicodemus about being born again.  Think about the difference this has and can make in your life.  Rejoice that God has made this possible through Christ!  Be amazed; it is amazing!!  We have refuge, even from death.

Running to the Refuge {Day 13}: Refuge from Judgement

This is day 13 in a month-long series.  You can catch up here.

I have in my scribbled topic list that today is "Refuge from Judgment" day.  I thought perhaps it would go the direction of Day 4's theme about God being a Refuge of Salvation.  But I feel a prompting to take things in a different direction.  There are two ways to think of judgment: ultimate judgment for our sin (please see the day 4 post for a discussion of this) and day-to-day judgments we make about others.  Since I wrote already about God being our Refuge of Salvation, today I'll focus on how we can take refuge in the Lord when we are facing judgment, particularly for our faith.

I would like to pick and choose verses from Psalm 94, but I cant decide what to eliminate, so I give you the whole thing, with commentary.   

O Lord, God of vengeance,

    O God of vengeance, shine forth!

Rise up, O judge of the earth;

    repay to the proud what they deserve!

O Lord, how long shall the wicked,

    how long shall the wicked exult?

They pour out their arrogant words;

    all the evildoers boast.

They crush your people, O Lord,

    and afflict your heritage.

They kill the widow and the sojourner,

    and murder the fatherless;

and they say, “The Lord does not see;

    the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

No matter the time or place in history, there will be those who mock the Lord and His people.  There will be the hard-hearted who believe they can do as they want without consequence and who will laugh in the faces of those who love God and pursue righteousness.  What are we to do?  One thing we can do is share truth.

Understand, O dullest of the people!

    Fools, when will you be wise?

He who planted the ear, does he not hear?

He who formed the eye, does he not see?

He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?

He who teaches man knowledge—

the Lord—knows the thoughts of man,

    that they are but a breath.

Another thing is to remember the Lord, how gracious He is to His people, how He is the rest provider, how He never forsakes us, how ultimately His justice will triumph.

Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord,

    and whom you teach out of your law,

to give him rest from days of trouble,

    until a pit is dug for the wicked.

For the Lord will not forsake his people;

    he will not abandon his heritage;

for justice will return to the righteous,

    and all the upright in heart will follow it.

In short, take refuge from judgment in the Lord.

Who rises up for me against the wicked?

    Who stands up for me against evildoers?

If the Lord had not been my help,

    my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.

When I thought, “My foot slips,”

    your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.

When the cares of my heart are many,

    your consolations cheer my soul.

Can wicked rulers be allied with you,

    those who frame injustice by statute?

They band together against the life of the righteous

    and condemn the innocent to death.

But the Lord has become my stronghold,

    and my God the rock of my refuge.

He will bring back on them their iniquity

    and wipe them out for their wickedness;

    the Lord our God will wipe them out.

When I think about wickedness prevailing in the world, the cares of my heart are many.  But running to the refuge cheers my soul, not because I am delighted to know that the wicked will one day perish apart from the Lord (actually, that kind of breaks my heart), but because I know that I do not need to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders.  That's God's responsibility!  He is the stronghold, the rock and the refuge.  He shelters and reminds us that wickedness will not last forever and righteousness will prevail.

Before closing, I want to make this personal.  There is widespread evil in the world and we see it at work through unrighteous rulers and kingdoms, but evil is also at work in your life.  The devil can use a blog post, a comment thread, or a look from another person to make you feel insecure about your decisions or judged for your behavior.  The cares of your heart increase as you try to please men and not God.  You quickly move away from Love to the desolate land of worry and despair.

Stop!  RUN TO THE REFUGE!

May the Lord be your stronghold, your rock, and your refuge!  May His Spirit send sweet reminders that you are loved, you belong, and you need only concern yourself with pleasing God, not men.  May your heart be filled with love for others and a strong desire to invite them to join you in running to the refuge!!

Amen?

Running Orders:

•  I once read a blog post by a woman named Debi Chapman and she said, The infrastructure of your soul was not made to carry the weight of the world.  This is an invitation to ask God to forgive us for trying to do His job and neglecting ours, to trust in Him.  It is also an invitation to lay the "cares of your heart" on the Lord and ask that His righteousness would prevail.
• Reread Psalm 94 and ask the Lord to highlight things specifically for your live and current circumstances.  Record these to look at later.

Running to the Refuge {Day 12}: Refuge from Danger

This is day 12 of a month-long series.  Catch up on previous posts here.

As I began thinking about this Refuge from Danger post yesterday afternoon, I thought about what the opposite of danger is.  Safety came to mind, but I wanted to confirm that as an antonym.  I mistakenly typed 'danger' into google instead of thesaurus.com - I love thesaurus,com - and this definition popped up: the possibility of suffering harm or injury.  Hm, the possibility.   I find this definition intriguing.

The world is full of dangers.  There are things, people, situations, places out there than can and want to do us harm.  Danger is a reality in a world full of sin.  But at the same time, how often do you find yourself in real, right-before-your-eyes danger?  How much do our feelings of being in danger base themselves only in possibilities and not realities?  Man, that definition sure got me thinking.

I love how Psalm 91 engages the point and answers the question, What does it mean to take refuge from danger?  Verse 1:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

He who takes up residence in the Refuge finds rest in His shadow.  No matter what is going on around, when we set up camp in the shelter God provides, we can know rest.  I believe that rest comes from knowing we no longer need to live in fear.

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God in whom I trust.

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart

You will not fear the terror of night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor he pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with you eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

The Psalmist says the Lord is his refuge.  He is confident God will save from harm those who take refuge in Him.  But he also reminds us that under God's cover, we will not fear (bold above).  Taking refuge from danger in God means freedom the fear of the possibilities.  There is mind-peace from danger in the shelter of the Most High!

God is a refuge from danger in the possibilities sense, but there is one more point the Psalmist makes.  Continuing from verse 9 to the end:

If you make the Most High your dwelling--
even the Lord, who is my refuge--
then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Not only does the Psalmist talk about freedom from fear of danger, but also protection from danger itself.  In some sense, I don't know what to make of some of those claims above, e.g. no harm will befall you.  What does that mean?  It certainly can't mean that nothing bad will ever happen to us, because experience tells us otherwise.  We can't take it as a promise.  But I think the quote from the Lord at the end of the Psalm helps to explain it.  God is in the habit of rescuing and protecting His children from danger.  God watches over those who acknowledge him and live for Him.  He is a refuge from danger, because He is our ultimate protection when we are in the face of actual danger.  There is safety from danger in the shelter of the Most High!

To summarize, running to the Refuge does not make danger disappear, but running to the Refuge does make fear of danger fade and the power of danger pale.  Everything looks different when we peek out from behind the sheltering wing-feathers of our Father!

Rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Today.

Running Orders:

• The prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.  Proverbs 22:3 and 27:12  This Proverb is repeated twice, so I think we're supposed to pay attention to it!  There's the obvious practical application, for example, you see a storm coming, you find shelter.  But how about in your life?  What dangers surround you and how can you take refuge in the Lord rather than fear?

• Give thanks today for ways the Lord has protected you from harm throughout your life.  Give thanks for how even now you know rest and peace in the shelter and shadow of His wings.  And go ahead and ask for all that you need!  "He will call upon me and I will answer him."  Psalm 91:15

Running to the Refuge {Day 11}: Refuge from Trouble

I am loving sitting down each morning for my quiet time and drawing my laptop onto my lap to write, because I never know exactly where God is going to take my thoughts and direct my writing.  Nevertheless, He always gives me something to say and I am thankful!  If you are out there praying for this series, please do.  I often find myself feeling under attack when I begin one of these months of writing: fearful of having nothing to say, overwhelmed by the commitment, etc.  This month's topic is great for combating those things, but I covet your prayers as well.  I was grateful for a friend last Friday who reminded me in my stress and exhaustion, Run to the Refuge!  Thanks, Shannon.

Today we're gonna talk trouble.  Troubles.  We are all too familiar with them, aren't we?  Enemies cause us trouble; our own sin gets us into trouble; life throws trouble our way.  Trouble takes on many forms, and comes from within and without.   And trouble can get us D-O-W-N really quick.  We hit a bump in the road and the evil one uses the opportunity to lure us into his lair of despair an hopelessness.  Before we know it we believe that God is powerless to help us because the trouble is too huge.

His Word knocks some sense back into us:

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,

though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. 

Psalm 46:1-2

God as an ever-present refuge from trouble is a refuge from fear!

In the midst of trouble, God is there and He is a refuge from our difficulties.  Two observations about when life gets rocky.  The first is that when trouble is on our minds, we often jump to the worst case scenario.  I love that the Psalmist seems to know that's what we do, because he addresses it directly.  Because God is our refuge and strength and an ever-present help in trouble, we don't have to fear even if the worst happens like, say, the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea!  In our refuge God, we are so secure.  He shelters us as a refuge, gives us strength, and helps us in our troubles.  The worst case scenario probably won't play out, but if it does, He is still God and we are still safe in Him.

The second observation is that when life is full of trouble, we often take our eyes off of God and let ourselves be consumed with gazing at the trouble.  Psalm 46 is an excellent antidote for this, because the Psalmist fixes his gaze on the Lord.  He thinks about the river whose streams make glad the city of God, of His holy place and how He fills her, of His power to melt the earth with His voice.  He remembers that God with with him and a fortress to him.  Come and see the works of the Lord, he says.  And finally he quotes God as saying, Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Are you in trouble today?  The Lord is your refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble.  Let go of fear and the worst case scenario by taking refuge in Him.  Let go of trying to fix it or control it by worrying and gazing at the problem and instead fix your eyes on the Mighty God who can melt the earth with His voice.  He is your refuge and strength!

Running Orders:

• Two verses from the New Testament come to mind when I think about trouble.  From these, how is God a refuge from trouble?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  Romans 8:35 & 37 

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

•  Read and pray through Psalm 46, specifically ask God to help you take refuge in Him in any troublesome things going on in your life right now.

Photo Credit

Running to the Refuge {Day 10}: Refuge from Enemies

Last week I hoped to establish that God is the Refuge that we are seeking and that He is able to be our refuge because of who He is.  This week, we'll move on to thinking about what God is a refuge from, for if we are taking refuge we are surely taking refuge from something.  We'll begin with enemies.  God is a refuge from our enemies.

There are many verses in Scripture where people cry out to God for refuge from their enemies.  The Psalm that stood out to me this morning as I looked through the list I had complied is Psalm 37, so that will be our focus for today.  It begins,

Do not fret because of evil men

or be envious of those who do wrong;

for like the grass they will soon wither,

like green plants they will soon die.

After those two verses, David goes on for seven verses about how we, those who trust the Lord, should behave, rather than fretting and envying.

Trust in the Lord and do good;

    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Take delight in the Lord,

    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;

    trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,

    your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord

    and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when people succeed in their ways,

    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;

    do not fret—it leads only to evil.

For those who are evil will be destroyed,

    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

The Psalm goes on in sections like this contrasting how the child of God is called to live and the hope and future in store for him with that of the wicked enemies.  The future is glum for the God-haters, but bright for those who trust in the Lord.  How does David instruct us to live in the meantime?

• trust in the Lord
• do good
• dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture
• take delight in the Lord
• commit your way to the Lord
• trust in the Lord
• be still before the Lord
• wait patiently for the Lord
• do not fret about evil succeeding

How many of these things have anything to do with engaging our enemies?  That's right, none of them!  But all of them remind us to fix our eyes on the Lord and seek first His kingdom and righteousness, so to speak.

Here's the main point I want you to take with you today.  No matter who your enemies are, whether human or spiritual, God is our refuge from them because He is the one who fights for us.  We take refuge in Him and learn to live day by day for Him, entrusting the battle against our enemies to Him.

I wrote in my journal, STOP FIGHTING, HEATHER!

The battle is not mine.  The battle is not yours.  The battle is the Lord's.  Let's lay down our weapons by running to the Refuge when enemies draw near.  Let's surrender to our defender by trusting in the Lord and focusing on living for Him when enemies try to distract us.  God is refuge from our enemies because He alone is the enemy defeater!  We don't need to try to do His job.  Anyway, we can't.

You have been my refuge,

a strong tower against the foe.

Psalm 61:3

Running Orders:

• Finish reading Psalm 37.  Jot down all of the things God does on behalf of the righteous (His children) and all of the things we are responsible for.  How are the lists different?
• Pray.  Ask God to forgive you for trying to take on your enemies on your own and ask Him to help you to increasingly choose to trust in Him, taking refuge in Him from your enemies.

Running to the Refuge {Day 9}: Worship and Rest

This song came to mind this week as a perfect one to share following days of reflection on God our Refuge.  Have a blessed Sunday.