..."and a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the way of holiness; evil minded people shall not travel on it, but it shall be for those wayfarers who are traveling toward God. (Isaiah 35:8, adapted)



Friday, April 25, 2008

A Place of Refuge in God

"In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence:
and his children shall have a place of refuge."
--Proverbs 14:16


Using the mind to try and navigate through
the ever growing deceptions that face us
as believers will not insure that we
are safely abiding in the Lord.

There is one thing that even the simple-
minded can have, one thing that requires
no skill, one thing that will not fail
the believer when he walks in the dark:
that one thing is the fear of the Lord.

A sign of the end times is that people
will be cocky and arrogant: they will
have no fear of even demonic entities
(Jude 8,9; 2 Tim. 3:2). But we are called
to fear God and not be intimidated by the
works, and those who practice works, of darkness.

When we fear God, we know our place:
He is large and we are small!
When we fear God we recognize
God's character: Holy, Holy, Holy!
When we fear God, we have strong
confidence, not in ourself, but
in the One in whom we have put our trust!

In God, there is a wondrous place of
refuge. "The Name of the Lord is a strong
tower, the righteous run into and
are set aloft, far above the
reach of their enemies"
(Prov 18:10).
In the Lord is refuge from our enemies,
peace from our struggles, protection
from those who assail us; a hiding place
from the arrows of the wicked.

Those who do not fear God go forth
under their own banner and at their
own peril. The fear of God is nothing
like the human fear that torments. It is
a fear that enables us to qualify
for all the provisions of God's
protection program! It produces
confidence that we are being protected
and are safe for we place ourselves
in His care.

Would you feel safe if you ran
from your enemies into the headquarters
of Scotland Yard, or the Armed Forces,
or even the local police department?
All political remarks aside, you would
because these places represent authority
and safety.

When we fear God we have a place of refuge.
His strong arm protects us because we
have submitted ourselves to His rule
and authority. We do not fear that He
will hurt us, rather, we are able to have
godly fear because we know that He
is holy. Fear of the Lord produces
the knowledge that He will protect us.

Those who do not fear God are setting
themselves up for danger because they
despise authority. We are no match
for the waves of deception that the
enemy of our souls is sending against
the shores of our minds and hearts and
spirits. We need only fear God and run
into Him as a refuge.

It is commonly said, "When the devil
knocks at your door, send Jesus to
answer it." Let Someone bigger than you
deal with that which opposes and
threatens you.

All we need to do is fear God. Not
because He is scary, but because He
is so completely worthy of our reverence.

Fear the Lord, find your refuge in God.
How happy and blessed are those who take
refuge in Him.




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