Morning By Morning #315

The eternal God is your refuge.

Deuteronomy 33:27

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

The word refuge can also be translated mansion or abiding place, which offers the idea of God being our home. There is a beautiful fullness in this metaphor, for home is always dear to our hearts, whether it is the humblest of cabins or the smallest of attic rooms. Even more dear to us, however, is our blessed God in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

It is at home we feel safe, where we shut out the world and dwell in quiet, peaceful security. And when we are with our God we “fear no evil” (Ps. 23:4), for He is our shelter and retreat—our abiding refuge. Home is where we rest and relax after the tiring labor of the day. Likewise, our hearts find rest in God and our soul dwells in peace; when wearied by life’s conflicts we turn to Him. At home we can let our guard down, not fearing we will be misunderstood or that our words will be twisted or misconstrued. And when we are with God we can freely communicate with Him, completely laying open all our hidden desires. If “the LORD confides in those who fear him” (Ps. 25:14), then certainly the secrets of His children should and must be entrusted to Him. Home is also the place of our truest and purest happiness, and it is in God our hearts find their deepest delight, for our joy in Him far surpasses any other joy in life.

It is for our home we work at our jobs. Thoughts of our home and family give us strength to handle our daily burdens and motivate us to perform our tasks more quickly. In this same sense, we relate to God as our home. Love for Him strengthens us, and as we think of Him in the person of His beloved Son, catching a glimpse of the suffering face of our Redeemer, we are compelled to work for His cause. We become more motivated in our service to Him, for there are people yet to be saved, and we will desire to fill our Father’s heart with joy by bringing His wandering sons home. In fact, we will yearn to fill with holy joy the hearts of our entire sacred family with whom we dwell.

“Blessed is he whose help [or refuge] is the God of Jacob” (Ps. 146:5)!

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

David, who spent years running from King Saul, certainly understood the importance of places of refuge. Even more importantly, however, he came to realize there is no such thing as a place of total safety in this world, and that the only unshakeable refuge is the Lord Himself. Here is how he expressed this important truth in two of his psalms:

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Psalm 62:5 – 8

In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked.

Psalm 71:1 – 4