As I was watching a basketball game the other day a thought came to my mind, as if the Spirit of God gently reminding me – that Life in general is not a game! Oh we wish it is! But not so! Most of the time it’s a battle, it’s a struggle; a lot of tears and pain, heartaches and hurts. Beyond the smile and the laughter is a hurting and weeping heart – crying out for love, pleading for help, begging for relief! We live not in a fantasy world nor in video game world, but in a real world of sin and trouble! What do we do when life turns to the worst? When the battle rages and we’re in the thick of the fight? When our enemy is gaining ground and we’re losing our grip? Psalm 46:1-3Psalm 46:1-3
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
46 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. for: or, of ¹ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. ² Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; midst...: Heb. heart of the seas ³ Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.  

WP-Bible plugin – God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

When life presses in upon us, when trouble comes, then we can know that we have a place to run to. God is our refuge and strength. It does not matter what form the trouble takes, or how it is delivered, or how long it stays. God alone is our accessible, protected place of refuge and retreat. We can hide there and know that nothing can get through to us unless it goes through Him first. In any battle you need a safe place…a fortress where you can go to rest and recoup and think. One of the most beautiful pictures of spiritual refuge is found in Psalm 91:4Psalm 91:4
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.  

WP-Bible plugin where it says, “God will shield you with His wings.”

Have you ever seen little chicks hop around, chirping, pecking, doing “little chick stuff”? If the mother hen becomes aware of a predator or a threat to her offspring, she responds by lifting her wings and within seconds, all the baby chicks disappear underneath them. Now, the predator sees nothing but one mean-looking mama who just dares the enemy to take a step forward! She is a refuge for her children…..she is their protection. Now eventually, the chicks will have to crawl out and face the real world again. But for a season, there is nothing quite like the soft shelter of those wings—the downy feathers caressing their heads; the mother’s warmth stilling their shakes; her heart’s steady beating gradually calming their fears.

And God delights in spreading His protective wings and enfolding His frightened, battle-weary children. God is our refuge! And one way that we let God be a refuge for us is to simply talk to Him about our struggles. Psalm 62:8Psalm 62:8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.  

WP-Bible plugin says, “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” So the passwords that open the gates into the refuge of God are the soul – wrenching words that flow out of our hearts, when we finally decide to trust God enough to tell Him about our struggles. Somewhere in the middle of taking that step of faith, the gates open, and God’s wings extend.

God delights in spreading His protective wings …enfolding His frightened, battle-weary children…

Jesus is our refuge even when what seems permanent and unchangeable changes. When the world seems to crash in around us, He is still there. When the world does not make sense, He is still there. When the problems overwhelm us, when we are afraid, when we are hurting, God is still there. He’s an ever-present help! Thank You Lord!

Do one of Two things this coming year

Unnecessarily worry about your mistakes?


Here we are at the door of 2009. Counting this day we are 4 days to go into the New Year. It seems that with each passing year time just speeds up. We all can do the one of two things this coming year:

1. We can waste it away by sitting around and worrying about the things we failed to accomplish last year, or the mistakes we made through out the year; we can sit around and have a pity party because things didn’t go the way we wanted them to;
2. OR, we can decide to make the most of this coming New Year that God has granted us.

The fact is for some of you perhaps the year 2008 was more of a disappointment than a joy. Some of you may have experienced a loss of some kind. For some of you it may have been a year of set backs and failures. The bad news is there is nothing we can do to change this year. The good news is we can learn from the past and today we have the opportunity to start over and make some changes. God brings life to us in small pieces that we know as hours, days and months. At the beginning of every year He says, let’s wipe the slate clean and let’s start with a brand new year. Its like God is saying, “ Let’s start over. ” And that’s good news! The good news is that, amid so many changes, there is one unchanging reality you can always count on. Hebrews 13:8Hebrews 13:8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.  

WP-Bible plugin says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Jesus never changes, and His faithfulness to those who believe in Him never changes. “His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart (Psalm 91:4Psalm 91:4
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.  

WP-Bible plugin).



Standing firmly on the rock-solid reality of Christ

Have you ever had a rough ride in an airplane? Turbulence tosses the plane this way and that. An air pocket makes the plane drop suddenly, and your stomach jumps into your mouth! As you near your destination and come in for a landing, the plane shakes and sways in the wind. When it reaches the runway, the plane bounces a few times before screeching to a stop. After such a wild and bumpy ride, what a relief to be on firm ground! It feels great to have both feet standing on something solid. So too, if you’ve been blown this way and that by turbulence and changing times, it feels great to have both feet standing firmly on the rock-solid reality of Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ brings security and stability you can’t find anywhere else.

Your health can change, your relationships can change, your finances can change, weather patterns can change, economies can change, technology can change, governments and national boundaries can change, but “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Changing times don’t change the Lord. All other things, even the very earth and sky, are changing. The Bible says earth and sky are like clothes that eventually wear out and must be changed. “But,” says the Bible of Jesus, “you remain the same, and your years will never end” (Hebrews 1:11-12Hebrews 1:11-12
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; ¹² And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.  

WP-Bible plugin). So, beloved, rejoice in Him who holds you secure – and know that nothing can pluck you out His powerful and loving hands!