Tag: Love

Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

The Goal of Peace

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Based on the LGG Study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come / w2d2

Scripture: John 14:15-31 / SOAP: 27-28

27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. 1 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. 2 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 3 30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me, 4 31 but I am doing just what the Father commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Get up, let us go from here.

Today’s devotional is borrowed and shared from the Love God Greatly Journal, p 64. I found it to be another wonderful reminder that we are meant to walk in peace and not despair. This peace isn’t one that we generate or gain from the world, it is a gift that comes only through and in Jesus Christ. It is available to all who believe in Him. In yesterday’s post, we looked at the difficulties and messes that challenge us in this world. Today, Jesus makes it clear that the world has no hope to offer us, for it is filled with lies, unfairness, and death. The good news and promise of hope is that He left His disciples/us with His peace. His is a peace that resides in us through the Holy Spirit. It is a peace that fills us with courage and overcomes the troubles that we face in this world. Jesus said that it was important for the disciples to know all of this because of what was about to happen, and the same is true for us as we watch the ‘ruler of this world’ stir up all kinds of evil around us. We need to remember that, the enemy has no power over those who belong to Christ, and – like Jesus – we need to press on in what God has called us to do – which is to live and love like Jesus so that the world may see and know God through us.

Once again, Jesus connects the ideas of love and obedience (John 14:15, 21). His submission to the will of God is evidence that His message is true (John 5:19).

Bibleref.com

INTO THE WORD is borrowed from the Come, Lord Jesus, Come journal / p64

Jesus’ peace is ours for the taking. He did not leave us to worry or fret over the decline we see happening in the world. That is not a burden we are meant to carry. Instead, Jesus has given us peace to carry us through our hard days and sleepless nights. Having Jesus’ peace does not mean we will not walk through hard times. It means we will not walk through them alone.

We can experience peace when it feels like our world is spiraling out of control because true peace is only found in Jesus, not in this world. The only long-term thing this world has to offer us is heartache and worry. Because we have peace that surpasses all understanding, we can confidently look forward to the days ahead, knowing Jesus is already there. We do not need to fear our present or future because we know Jesus is always with us.

Knowing we can find peace in our lives despite our circumstances, we can choose today to have courage. Now is the time to embrace Jesus’ peace. Now is the time to exhibit courage, even when we feel afraid. It’s okay to feel scared even as you choose to be brave. Why do you think Joshua spoke so much about being courageous right before he conquered the promised land? He, too, had to muster up courage as he headed into a new land. But Joshua didn’t let his fear stop him. He went anyway knowing that God was with him. Jesus is with you too, and because of Him, you can experience true peace no matter what is going on in your life.

PRAYER

Dear Lord, thank You for the peace You have so generously given me. Please help me embrace Your peace and put it into action in my life. Help me be courageous in the tasks You have given me as I look forward to Your return. Until that day, come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.

The More We Know

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Off the Beaten Path

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Today’s devotional is borrowed and shared from ourdailyverse.com

If I were to list my favorite ‘breath prayers,’ this verse would be among the top ten. I think I learned it because of my anxiety but it is a perfect mantra for busy days, difficult sittuations, weariness, and simply all of life in this world we live in. Try it with me … taking a slow deep breath in, whisper or think the words – “Be still and know,” then.- as you slowly exhale, think or whisper – “that I am God.”

Today’s ‘off the beaten path devotion is a beautiful explanation of this verse and why we should hide it in our heart – ready to quiet any troubling or unexpected situation that arises. Be sure and click on the pic below –

https://www.ourdailyverse.com/p/verse-day-psalm-4610-a84c

🙏 Verse of the Day: Psalm 46:10
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Off The Beaten Path –

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Day 5 – Celebration of Life Prayer 2.0

I posted this little blog on my 57th birthday five years ago. It was actually a prayer and one of the first prayer posts I shared under the category of “God is Good.” I have updated it to reflect my most recent birthday and share it here with you as a segue to the guest post by Ann Voskamp.

Celebration of Life / an edited post of July 20, 2019

God, you are good! You have blessed me with 62 years of life🎉 This number represents more than years of life. For it is also a reminder that …

  • through FAITH in Jesus Christ, I have known you as my God for 56 years – and
  • 35 years ago, You brought me to a fuller understanding of Your marvelous grace, which profoundly and forever changed my life1 – and
  • Since then,  I have been GROWING in the knowledge of Your grace and of my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ ❤️ in the nurture and admonition of Your amazing, never-failing LOVE!

So, while I celebrate my birthday and am deeply grateful for another year of life – my greater celebration is in You!

  • I bow in worship and celebrate who You are and that You made Yourself known to me!
  • I bless and celebrate Your Name – Name above all Names –
  • I celebrate being adopted into Your family and known as a child of God!
  • I praise and celebrate You for all that You have done for me throughout these 62 years – You’ve protected, provided, and shown me Your kindness, love, and compassion. You’ve rescued me from pits of destruction and walked with me through countless valleys, and not once have You left me on my own —so I celebrate You and the day of my salvation 56 years ago!
  • again and again I praise and celebrate You for Your mercy and pursuit of this wayward lamb
  • and I celebrate the fuller understanding You have given me of Your life-changing grace and Your faithfulness to grow me up in the nurture and admonition of Your Love over the past 35 years!

When I was writing this post five years ago – a song from decades ago started playing in my mind – And will be my song of celebration every year of my life – not just for my celebration of years but even more for my celebration of life in Christ! 🎶

Listen to my birthday song. Then, I invite (and encourage)you to visit the link to Ann Voskamp’s blog. It is a wonderful musing of ideas and encouragement about God’s grace and the change that comes from knowing and embracing Him, the God who doesn’t change and can do the impossible.

Change is possible, when you embrace the God who doesn’t change and can do the impossible.

Ann VosKamp

The post is long but well worth the read – even if you read some today and some tomorrow …. How to Have a Better Second Half of Your Life

photo credits/Ann Voskamp

Clock - it's never too late
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Psalm 119, Quiet Time

Run to God and His Word

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WHERE DO YOU RUN WHEN LIFE GETS HARD? / borrowed and shared from the LGG study of Ps 119

by WhitneyD | originally posted Aug 7, 2015 | 

I lay in bed next to my tender boy… the one who wears his heart on his sleeve. He feels it is unfair, but I whisper in his ear that his biggest struggle also has the potential to be his best gift. 

Help him to see it for himself one day soon, Jesus.

His high emotions serve him so very well when all is well. But when life gets hard? Well, he’s still learning how to navigate those rough waters. For now, he just wishes that he didn’t feel so much. Care that much.

He wants to see himself as God sees him, but it’s not always that easy – even with the best of intentions and in all of the trying. I get it buddy… I really do. Fair and right and easy living aren’t generally things this world hands out in abundance, and I haven’t seen a silver platter circulating the masses recently.

Ever feel like it would just be easier to run away from it all?

It starts out sounding like the best option – sometimes the only option. Only when we run, the hard still lingers within us. On this earth, no one escapes hard buddy. 

But hard has the most amazing potential when Jesus enters the picture…

___________________________

“Everyone is running somewhere,” I tell him. “But what you believe about God will determine where you run.”

May my cry come before YOU, oh Lord…

give me understanding according to Your Word.

May my supplication come before YOU;

deliver me according to Your promise.

~ Psalm 119: 169-170

trust

Doubt, fear, and shame tell us to run and hide. They tell us it would be way easier to stay in bed, to ignore that phone call, to throw our very own patented version of a temper tantrum and just plain refuse to show up.

But hard can also drive us to the cross.

Maybe hard has way more than just potential. Because of Jesus, what if hard suddenly became our greatest gift?

Hard strips away built-up pride and can lead us to a place of humility.

Hard crushes illusions of self-sufficiency and can push us to seek for a solution beyond ourselves.

Hard uncovers calloused hurts and shameful pasts and can awaken us to our need for forgiveness.

Hard exposes our deepest sins and can bring us to our knees in repentance.

Hard turns our eyes away from worthless things and can drive us straight to His Word…

… if we’ll let it.

The best time for new beginnings is now. You don’t have to run away any longer. Not because you’re suddenly stronger, but because you can run to the One who is.

Will the hard still come even after you lay it all down?

You betcha. But this time, you can turn the other direction and instead of running scared you can run in great confidence.

You can put on your brave face and embrace those waves, holding your head up high as you ride them straight into the arms of your Savior.

“I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” ~ Spurgeon

God, your Word is a priceless treasure. Help us to run to it, for it’s there that we find YOU.

At His feet,

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Psalm 119, Quiet Time

It Only Takes a Spark

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Psalm 119:145-160; Week 7 response/recap
My Response

What a great week it’s been in this week’s journey through Psalm 119! Hope…power…prayer…, and loyal love – these are all found and experienced and heightened in and through God’s Word! His true, righteous, and reliable Word is our strength in weakness, our light in darkness, our wisdom in life… our peace and comfort for fears and sorrows…and our salvation and victory over sin and death. There is no greater gift, and we must never waste it! 🦋

The following post is borrowed and shared from the lovegodgreatly.com site. I pray you will read the beautiful post and find a wealth of wisdom and encouragement from every word. Grow from it and share it as you are led – remember: it only takes a spark to get a fire going! –

passing it down to the next generation.

The precious Word of God, read and treasured…worth more than any gem or stone.

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Psalm 119, Quiet Time

Repetition & Persistence

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Scripture: Psalm 119:157-160 / w7d4 of the Lgg study of Ps. 119

The enemies who chase me are numerous.
Yet I do not turn aside from your rules.
158 I take note of the treacherous and despise them,
because they do not keep your instructions.
159 See how I love your precepts.
O Lord, revive me with your loyal love.
160 Your instructions are totally reliable;
all your just regulations endure.

Psalm 119:157-160 NET

Oh, how I am loving our journey through this Psalm. It is a constant example of prayer, boldness, and persistence in coming before God, It is encouragement to come before Him persistently and boldly. It is an inspiration to stay faithfully in love with God and true to Him despite the threat of the enemy. or other circumstances we may face. The Psalm brings conviction to my heart to pray repetitively for those who do not love or keep God’s instructions. It is also a reminder to trust in and depend on the Lord’s “loyal love” and the reliability of His Word – which is the true and evident basis for the psalmist’s persistent request and hope for revival.

 Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness: The psalmist asked God to look at his love for His word, but then asked for revival on the basis of God’s lovingkindness instead of on his own merit.

Enduringword.com

The following commentary is borrowed and shared from a wonderful commentary I found on this particular part of our journey through Psalm 119. I pray you will take the time to read it, as it has much to offer.

 (Ps 119: 157-158) Keeping to God’s word despite persecution.

Many are my persecutors and my enemies,
Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.
I see the treacherous, and am disgusted,
Because they do not keep Your word.

a. Many are my persecutors and my enemies: The psalmist lived life in the real world, not sheltered in a constant Scripture-study environment. His trust in the word of God was forged in the real world, a world full of persecutors and enemies.

i. “Persecution, to the false professor, is an occasion of apostasy (Matthew 13:20-21); to the faithful servant of Christ, it is the trial of his faith (1 Peter 1:6-7), the source of his richest consolations (Matthew 5:10-12, Acts 13:50-52, 1 Peter 4:12-16), the guard of his profession (Matthew 10:16, Philippians 2:14-16), and the strength of his perseverance (Acts 20:22-24).” (Bridges)

b. Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies: The presence of so many persecutors and enemies did not make the psalmist despair or doubt the love of God for him. He didn’t have the expectation that a godly life was a problem-free life. Instead, he was determined to keep turned to and focused on the word of God.

i. “So long as they cannot drive or draw us into a spiritual decline our foes have done us no great harm, and they have accomplished nothing by their malice. If we do not decline they are defeated. If they cannot make us sin they have missed their mark. Faithfulness to the truth is victory over our enemies.” (Spurgeon)

c. I see the treacherous and am disgusted, because they do not keep Your word: It wasn’t that the psalmist expected godly behavior from the ungodly – something that Paul warned about (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). He felt disgusted because God and His word were being disgraced, even if it came from the disgraceful.

i. “I was sorry to see such sinners. I was sick of them, disgusted with them, I could not endure them. I found no pleasure in them, they were a sad sight to me, however fine their clothing or witty their chattering. Even when they were most mirthful a sight of them made my heart heavy; I could not tolerate either them or their doings.” (Spurgeon)

ii. This sensitivity toward sin and passion for the glory of God is entirely characteristic of the revival that the psalmist prays for repeatedly in this section.

iii. “A fellowship with the joys of angels over repenting sinners (Luke 15:10) will be accompanied with bitterness of godly sorrow over the hardness and impenitency of those, who keep not the word of God.” (Bridges)

4. (Ps. 119: 159-160) Revived by the completely true and lasting word.

Consider how I love Your precepts;
Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.
The entirety of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

a. Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness: The psalmist asked God to look at his love for His word, but then asked for revival on the basis of God’s lovingkindness instead of on his own merit.

i. “A second time he asks for consideration. As he said before, ‘Consider mine affliction,’ so now he says, ‘Consider mine affection.’ He loved the precepts of God – loved them unspeakably – loved them so as to be grieved with those who did not love them.” (Spurgeon)

b. Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness: An idea stated before (Psalm 119:88) is here repeated. Revival is never deserved or earned, but given from the lovingkindness of God.

i. “The consciousness of need is revealed in the thrice repeated, ‘Quicken [Revive] me.’ He feels the weakening of his very life under the pressure of circumstances.” (Morgan)

c. The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever: The psalmist again declares the infallible character of the word of God. The entire word is true, not merely portions or individual concepts from the word. Not only is it true; it is eternally true.

i. “The Scriptures are as true in Genesis as in Revelation, and the five books of Moses are as inspired as the four Gospels…. There is not one single mistake either in the word of God or in the providential dealings of God. Neither in the book of revelation nor of providence will there be any need to put a single note of errata. The Lord has nothing to regret or to retract, nothing to amend or to reverse.” (Spurgeon)

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Psalm 119, Quiet Time

Finding Hope In God’s Word

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Scripture: Psalm 119:145-148

I am becoming more and more forgetful, but I have not forgotten how and when I met God – or the years that followed. I remember the ebb and flow of growing in Him throughout my childhood and into my teens and throughout my adult life. I have not forgotten the waxing and the waning of my faithfulness to Him nor the pits of muck and mire that He pulled me from along the way! I remember the sin and the shame but those memories are always followed by the beautiful revelation of God’s grace that is greater than all of my sin. I remember not just His grace but His great love, a love that brings me hope, for it is because of His great love that I wasn’t and am not consumed. It is because of this great love and hope that I learned to call out to Him in prayer, not just in the morning but throughout the day and into the night.

I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore, I have hope:

Lamentations 3:19-21

I cannot recall these memories without also recalling the prophet Jeremiah and the words of his sorrowful lament in Lamentations chapter three – when he remembered his affliction in the days following the destruction of Jerusalem. However, like Jeremiah, I find hope when I also recall the Lord’s great love. Jeremiah described this as God’s compassions that never fail – and I can testify to this truth. For it is because of His great love that I wasn’t consumed. Instead, I was pursued and delivered by His grace from the entrapments of the world into a relationship with Him – and a desire to keep His rules. I no longer found hope in my works or doing/being good but in talking to God and reading His Word. I fell in love with Him through His Word. I also had a baby in these early days of renewal, so like the Psalmist in our journey today – I looked to God in the early morning and looked forward to the naps and nighttime hours when I knew I could pray and meditate on His Word.

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24

Oh, the beauty of these memories and of His faithful mercies, which are still new every morning! As my memory fades, this one prayer increases: May I always remember His Word and never forget that God, in His great love, pursued me, delivered me, and changed the desire of my heart.

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:25-26
Encouragement for the Journey

Let’s never allow God and His Word or time in prayer to be just a “To Do” on the agenda of our day. Instead, let’s purposefully set aside or find time to spend with Him in His Word and in prayer. Let’s seek to know Him – His desires…the things He loves and delights in, and the things He detests… Let’s learn His rules… observe His character…put Him first in our lives – loving His ways over the ways of the world. Let’s look for His fingerprints every day, listening for His ‘still small voice,’ and learning to trust Him with every need and thank Him for all He has done.

The More We Know

You won’t want to miss this beautiful devotion from the Love God Greatly Team

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Psalm 119, Quiet Time

Your View of God’s Rules…

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Scripture: Psalm 119:129-132

How do you view God’s rules (laws, commands, instructions)? –This was the question that came to mind as I read the words of the Psalmist in verse 125: “Your laws are wonderful. No wonder I obey them!” Keep in mind what we learned earlier in our study concerning the variation of Moses’ “use of the word laws (commands, commandments, decrees, and statutes…), how they refer to the overall principle of obedience to all that the Lord commands, whether it is a general command, a prescribed law, a legal verdict, or a religious festival or ritual.”1

Having established this, let me ask you the question that I asked myself, ‘How do you view God’s rules?’ Do you consider them burdensome or wonderful? Do you believe they need to be faithfully followed or do you find yourself thinking, or at least wondering if, they are archaic and no longer of importance? Or do you possibly see them as burdensome, too hard to understand or to obey/follow?

This Psalm (and the Holy Spirit) have reminded me that how we view the rules and regulations of God matters greatly. When we see them as wonderful rather than burdensome or discount them as archaic – we will, like the Psalmist, count them worthy of obedience. We will use them as light for our paths and seek them as necessary insight for our understanding not only of the Word but of God Himself. When this is our view, we will long both for God and His commands – and we will be found as faithful followers of the One whose mercies are new every morning.

Friend, if God’s commands seem burdensome or archaic and dismissable, ask Him to change your view. Ask Him to help you see them as beautiful, helpful, good, and needful instructions. Ask Him to help you long for them, to pant for them as the deer pants for the water, and to follow them faithfully. When this happens, Your relationship with God will deepen, and You will see the faithful goodness and mercies of Your God – and your view of His commands will change from dread to delight. I know this – because this is the story of my life!

Me-from the inside-out🦋

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Psalm 119, Quiet Time

I AM THE PSALMIST…

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Scripture: Psalm 119:121-128

Guest post today: by Angela Perritt | Jul 20, 2015 | Week 6/Day 1 of the LGG Psalm 119 Study

I am the Psalmist.

I, too, have a history of crying out to God, reminding Him of all that I do for Him, and asking Him the “whens” and the “whys”…

When Lord? When will you avenge?

Why Lord? Why have you allowed this?

And I, too, have a history of telling Him when He needs to act…

“It is time for you to act, O Lord…” ~ Psalm 119:126

Because of my limited sight and understanding, I struggle to comprehend the ways of our Lord at times.

I don’t have His perspective.

I don’t have His knowledge.

I am not God.

And so I become the Psalmist and cry out to Him with questions that are beyond my understanding… and I realize I am just a child.

Age is funny, you know. The older I get the more I realize how much there is to learn in life, and how very patient God is with my growth.

God is good and patient (Psalm 136:1 & 2 Peter 3:9).

I like that God is good. But patient? That can be a little harder when I’m waiting on Jesus to act.

The Jews in Jesus’ day wanted a Savior who would concur and overthrow the Roman oppressors. They wanted action. They wanted revenge. They wanted all those who had hurt them to finally have their day.

And in many ways, I am no different. And neither is our buddy the Psalmist.

He has highs and lows as he pursues knowing God better and gaining greater wisdom… just like me.

I’m taking comfort that here is a man who is completely sold out to God – a man who treasures God’s Word more than gold or gems – and yet I see this man struggle with waiting on the Lord to move. I hear him remind God of the righteous life he has led, just in case God may have missed it. I see him plead with God as he continues to be oppressed.

And in a strange way, it encourages me. It strengthens me.

Maybe it’s the progression of moving from “baby food” to “solids” in terms of spiritual growth, but it comforts me to know that other people who are 100% sold out for God – those who desperately want to live their lives for Him – struggle in their understanding of why He chooses to act sometimes, and at other times remains patient and does not step in and fix the situation like we want Him to.

But I’m starting to notice that in the waiting…there is precious growth.

In the waiting there is purpose.

“Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees. I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.”

The Psalmist does cry out to the Lord, but he also accompanies it with a sincere desire to know God and learn His ways:

“… teach me your decrees.”~ Psalm 119:124

“… give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.”~ Psalm 119:125

His heart is humble and teachable. He wants God’s ways over his own.

And maybe that’s the purpose of the waiting: the precious growth it produces.

“God’s delays are not God’s denials.”- Warren W. Wiersbe

So, like the Psalmist, I cry out to God and say:

“It is time for you to act, O Lord; your law is being broken.” ~ Psalm 119:126

But in these days of waiting, I’m learning to dig a little bit deeper into God’s Word and pray a little more earnestly. And that’s always a good thing.

“Your Kingdom come, Your will be done…” ~ Matthew 6:10

“The day will come when the truth will be revealed and sin will be judged; meanwhile, instead of complaining about what we have paid or lost, let us rejoice in the wealth that we have in God’s Word; wealth that can never be taken from us.”- Warren W. Wiersbe

Let’s Talk:

Don’t doubt for a second that God doesn’t see what’s going on in our world. But in the waiting, how can we be more proactive in growing in our faith and reaching out to a hurting world… being the hands and feet of Jesus?

Love God Greatly!

– I’d love for you to leave your thoughts on this question in the comment section 🦋

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Psalm 119, Quiet Time

Christ, Our Hiding Place…

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by Jen Thorn | Response to Love God Greatly’s study on Psalm 119 -week 5

WK5D5_Instagram

I have always had a fascination with castles. It is a wonder that men could build such beautiful and strong structures without our modern technological advances. Something that has always fascinated me are the secret rooms and passages common in castles. Such hidden spaces in the walls, in the roof, or behind works of art were for protection and escape when under siege. During the reign of Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603) more of these secret rooms were built in order to hide and protect priests from persecution. This is how they came to be called “priest holes.”

Over the centuries people have used secret hiding places in order to protect themselves from danger. During the Second World War in Germany, many Jews were hidden in private citizens’ homes. Al Capon (a notorious Chicago mobster) had a secret hideaway bar in the suburbs of Chicago. We even hide in our basements when there is a threat of tornadoes.

We all need safe places; that is why we live in houses. We need protection from the weather, from animals, and from people who want to steal our things or hurt our families.

But there is something even more precious than wealth and health that needs protection – our hearts and our souls.

During our lifetime we experience constant ups and downs, happy days and hard days, good news and devastating news, temptations and cruelty, evil and doubt, just like the Psalmist. All of this often puts us in the most dangerous of situations.

But have you noticed what he does in Psalm 119? No matter what comes his way, he always runs to God. Even more specifically, he runs to God’s word. This is his safe place from the tumultuous life he lives, and it must be ours as well.

5 Reasons Christ Must Be our Hiding Place

1. His Strength is Unmatched

“Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this:

that power belongs to God.” ~ Ps. 62:11

Our attackers are not just worldly, but also spiritual. We need to find safety in something that can protect us from the arrows of men and devils, from folly and error, sin and eternal death. The Lord is a shield who surrounds us on all sides (Ps. 3:3) and his strength ensures that the enemy can never defeat us because there is no weak spot in this shield.

2. His Secret Places are For Us

“The mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations,
but has now been manifested to His saints … which is Christ in you,
the hope of glory.” ~ Col 1:25,26

Ralph Robinson once explained the more secret a place the more safe we are.  In Christ are all the mysteries and secrets of this world and the next. The secrets of who God is, who we are, and salvation itself are disclosed to us that we might enter the secret places for safety. The only way to keep our heart and soul safe is by knowing and treasuring these mysteries as they come to us in God’s word and are received by faith.

3. His Faithfulness Endures Forever

“For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.” ~ Ps. 100:5

In order to feel safe you have to be able to trust the one who is protecting or hiding you. Who is more trustworthy than Christ!  He always does what he says. He is true to his every word at all times and because he is perfectly good he will always do what is right.

4. His Watchfulness Guards Us

“He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” ~ Ps. 121:3,4

Castles and fortresses come with guards, but human guards are not always reliable. They grow tired and fall asleep. They may miss an approaching enemy and make the castle susceptible to defeat. But we have a guard who doesn’t doze off and is therefore never caught off guard. Enemies can’t sneak up on him and nothing can take him by surprise. Meditating on this will be a huge source of comfort for us during anything we go through.

5. His Love Ensures Our Safety

The one who would watch over us the best is the one who loves us the most. Who loves us better than Jesus? He went to unimaginable lengths to keep us safe and he will continue to do all that is necessary to ensure that none will be snatched out of his hand (Jn. 10:28) and that we arrive safe and sound in his eternal Kingdom.

We have been given everything we need for life and godliness because we have been given Christ himself. He is our shield, our fortress, and our hiding place. Like the Psalmist, let’s run to our God all the time for everything we need.

jen-sig

Looking To Jesus,