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Lord, I seek refuge in You;
let me never be disgraced.
Save me by Your righteousness.
Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mountain fortress to save me.
For You are my rock and my fortress;
You lead and guide me
because of Your name.
You will free me from the net
that is secretly set for me,
for You are my refuge.
Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;
You redeem me, Lord, God of truth.
Psalms 31:1-5
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Since You are my Rock and my Fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for You are my Refuge.
Into Your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
Psalms 31:3-5
Those days. You’ve had those days—the ones where everything that could go wrong, does goes wrong. You leave for a trip—get a flat tire, forget your debit card at home, the bank is closed for some secret holiday, get a call and it’s some sort of family emergency—and all you wanted was a nice relaxing day. Those days, or just those moments when things just aren’t working in your favor.
I’ve had those days and moments. They used to rock my world and send me into a funk that felt like it would never end. But, as I’ve progressed in my relationship with Christ, I have learned to lean on Him instead of freaking out. God is our Refuge and if we go to Him, He will help us.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Prayer has definitely helped keep me sane and I believe that, the better my prayer life becomes, the more leveled I can be when things do not go as planned.
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
1 Corinthians 14:33
Another thing to keep in mind is that You can trust the Lord in those situations, because if anyone can bring order to them, it’s the God of order.
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Lord, thank You for being the God of order. Thank You for giving me the opportunity to trust You in all situations. You are amazing. Amen.
Lord, I seek refuge in You;
let me never be disgraced.
Save me by Your righteousness.
Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mountain fortress to save me.
For You are my rock and my fortress;
You lead and guide me
because of Your name.
You will free me from the net
that is secretly set for me,
for You are my refuge.
Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;
You redeem me, Lord, God of truth.
Psalms 31:1-5
In reading this passage I was captivated by David’s personal, confident prayer of faith. Faith and prayer go together hand-in-glove. Charles Spurgeon wrote:
“Faith is the foundation of prayer. Faith gives to men on earth the protection of heaven.”
David cries out for help. He has great faith in God. In Psalm 18:2 (AMP) he confidently asserts that God alone is His protection.
The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer;
my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge,
my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower.
David was wise to recognize his weaknesses. As Chuck Smith states: “Wisdom is knowing your weakness.” I would add that wisdom is also knowing where to turn for help. In Proverbs 30:26 the hyraxes (or conies) are considered wise because they realize they are small and weak then seek shelter in the rocks. In 2 Samuel 22:2, 7 (HCSB) David cried out to his Rock, his Fortress to be rescued. He said:
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,
I called to the Lord in my distress; I called to my God.
From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears.
I searched for definitions of “rock”:
I want to be like David—
He has sheltered me before…is defending me even now…and will continue to keep me securely in His grasp. With faith-filled anticipation, we pray; and in faithfulness, He answers.
“Faith establishes a claim to have it’s anticipations made good”
– Pulpit Commentary
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Lord, we are so very thankful and grateful that we can seek refuge in You, our Rock and our Fortress, knowing we will be protected and secure as we stand behind the rock solid walls of Your promises. Thank You for hearing our cries for help. Let us always be mindful to seek shelter in Your stronghold and nowhere else. In your Mighty and Holy name we pray, Amen – it is so!
Into your hands I commit my spirit, redeem me O Lord the God of truth.
Psalm 31:5
Redemption is the topic of my devotional this week. We read of redemption in many of the Scriptures, such as,
He provided redemption for His people;
He ordained His covenant forever – holy and awesome is His name.
Psalm 111: 9
O Israel put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with Him is full redemption.
Psalm 130:7
But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel,
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!”
Isaiah 43:1
Praise be to the Lord the God of Israel because He has come and had redeemed His people.
Luke 1:68
And many, many more Scriptures concerning redemption. But our question should be “What IS redemption?”
In simple and well-calculated manner it means “ to pay off.” We are so lucky, my friends! While we were yet sinners, Christ came to die for us. He paid the highest price and took us to Himself. We were kind of in an auction—where someone has to bid and then later pays off. We are the redeemed of Christ and we are rightful to claim anything that our Redeemer has. Because if you redeem, you are taking a thing to yourself for it now belongs to you. Let us allow Christ to operate in us fully for He redeemed us.
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Father, we thank You for redeeming us from all bondages in this world—sicknesses, failures, etc. We pray for more grace in our lives…in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.Psalms 31:1-5
David was fearful for his life. He knew the only way out was to cry out to God for his provision and protection. David was not weak minded. He was a great statistician and knew how to outwit his enemies in many situations. Yet, occasionally, he was in a place where his only hope was to cry out to God. We do the same. We look at a situation and know how to get free. But there are those situations where God has placed us to test our faith.
Besides my faith in God, other ideas that pop into my mind are:
When do you feel that your faith is true—when you are tested or when a friend is tested? We are all tested at one time…a time to make us stronger and more dependent on God for our everyday needs.
Think of Noah, when he was first asked to build the Ark…. Can you imagine the conflicting thoughts coursing through his mind? Out of holy fear and obedience, Noah built the Ark. Preaching while he built, he did his best to tell people about the end of the world if they did not turn from their wickedness and join him and his family. The people, ridiculing him and his family, did not understand what a flood was. They did not perceive that life was going to end. They did not care. They just knew that they were happy with their life and did not care about serving another god.
How many of us, as we walk through life, have replaced God with idols? How many of us pursue that name-brand purse, name-brand clothes, ‘name- brand’ whatever? Should we dwell on those things or should be pursue our family, our children, and our friends with the same kind of enthusiasm? We are to be about Kingdom business. We are to have the faith that when we step out to share God’s love, He will reward us for wanting to spread the Good News.
For that is our purpose—to share God’s love with others. And to share with others the good things, as well as our trials and our future in God.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matthew 28: 18-20
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Father, Thank you for loving us enough to share your son Jesus with us. Forgive us when we forget to share our faith or when we become afraid to share our faith with others. Give us the courage we need to become evangelist and disciple makers for you! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
Be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
Psalms 31:1-5
Everyone experiences rough patches in their lives. Sometimes it may seem like we go through more roughness than we think we deserve. Right now in the Middle East, Jews and Christians are being persecuted at an alarming rate. They are being forced from their homes or even brutally murdered—men, women, and children—for worshipping Christ. We are being warned that the same is coming all around the world.
In our little corner of the world, we are fighting those that want to take prayer out of public life. We are fighting those who want to make religion a private relationship maintained behind the closed front door at home. We are fighting those that are wanting to take our voice away and not wanting us to voice the good news of Jesus Christ because they either do not believe it themselves or worship some other idol.
Yea, and all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2 Timothy 3:12
We have been explicitly warned that we will be persecuted if we ‘live Godly’ lives and choose to worship Jesus. Jesus already knew that it was going to happen before He was crucified. Yet we know who wins in the end. God will rescue us in the time of great need. He will be the Rock that we lean on when the world gets to be too much. He is our Refuge. He is the guiding Spirit that keeps us from trouble. He comes to our rescue in ways that we cannot ever imagine. He is our Fortress. God is our guiding Light.
God is our Savior. He is our Shield of faith. He is our rescuer. Through our relationship with Him, God guides us through a turbulent world that is only going to get more turbulent. God will be our Refuge no matter when or where we call on Him. We deliver our spirits to Him because He is faithful and will keep us safe.
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Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You for Your refuge and love. Without Your greatness, we would not have anywhere to turn when times get rough. You rescued me from death and now You lead and guide me through life and keep me from wandering into the trap that the devil sets everyday. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sing for joy to God our strength;
Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.Psalm 81:1
My Jesus, my Savior
Lord, there is none like You
All of my days I want to praise
the wonders of your mighty love
My comfort, my shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath…all that I am
Never cease to worship You
Shout to the Lord
All the earth, let us sing
Power and majesty praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name
I sing for joy at the work of Your hand
Forever I’ll love you, forever I’ll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in you….
Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
Psalm 81:1
Disney’s Frozen is one of those hits that just don’t leave your mind a few days after watching it. For kids and toddlers, mainly girls, it has been a huge hit. Try finding an Elsa costume in a Disney store. It’s not happening most days. The music itself is not going away either. This music has stuck around longer than most one-hit wonders. It’s amazing. My daughter is three, and all she has to do is hear the first strains of Let It Go, and she breaks into song. She almost knows the entire song word for word. My parents were amazed at how much she knew.
However, worldly songs and things are only finite. Our love of them should not interfere with our love and wanting of God. When things begin to interfere with our relationship with God, they become idols. Worldly things can grab such a strong hold over people that they lose sight of what is really true in this world—God’s love and a relationship with Him.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Acts 3:19
But yet we can have an infinite love and life. We cannot let the worldly things get in our way. If we repent and accept a relationship with God, our sins will be blotted out. Our lives will be refreshed by the Spirit and love of God. We shall always be in His Presence. We are able to rely on the strength of God when we are down, sick, or in need. He is our Rock and Shield. All we have to do is have faith.
When our relationship with God is strong and unbroken, we are so much more than we could be without Him—which is weak. We can sing to the moon and back about His love and saving grace. We can shout to the Lord about His wonderful and fulfilling love. With God as our strength, we can fight any fight that we are thrown into. We can help those who need it, and we can share the joy of loving God.
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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love. Thank You for Your grace. Without You, we would be weak. You give us strength to get through these troubling days. You love us like no one else. You are our Rock and Strength. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sing for joy to God our strength, shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
Psalm 81:1
Jacob is an excellent example of a man who knew God gave him strength. In times of trouble he called on God who helped him overcome the challenges. He had run away from Esau and met Laban (his uncle who also became his father-in-law.) He worked for 14 years to get his best wife. In all those years Jacob endured painful circumstances through his God who gave him strength.
We can also do the same through Christ who strengthens us. We can trust God for His strength.
Blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
Psalm 84:5
In Psalm 89:21, God is saying, “My hand will sustain him, surely My arm will strengthen him.” This promise is for you and me. God’s promises are Yes! and Amen! Let us embrace this truth that His arm will strengthen us.
It is about 2-3 weeks now I have been down with pain inside me due to feeling not favored, and not loved, etc., due to failing in my exams many times in the same subjects. I could not even stand in prayer because of the pain and disappointment. But I am here to tell you that I had an encounter with God, Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in their Trinity—Who confirmed to me that this is not the end of the world…and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And that God REMAINS God…He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
At first it wasn’t making sense, but later I came to realize that “NOTHING can separate me from the love of God” and so, with that feeling, I am up again. I may have been dropped down but not knocked out!!
I beseech you, my dear friends, we need to give it all to God in prayer and in Jesus’ name. And He WILL answer us. And give us His strength when we are weary. He gives strength to our weak souls.
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Father, I thank You for Who You were, Who You are, and Who You will be forevermore. You are such an awesome God, the Creator of the universe. The heavens and the earth are full of Your glory. Holy are You, Lord! We glorify Your Holy name. May we always find strength in Christ Jesus Your son. May He give us the strength we need to carry on! We need You more than ever before. Dwell in us always because on our own…we cannot make it. Let Your joy be our strength. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen!!!
Psalm 81
(For the director of music. According to gittith. Of Asaph.)
Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
This verse reminds me of a song from Third Day, Sing a Song.
When there is joy—pure joy—our hearts burst with such joy and song.
I did a word search on this phrase ‘sing a song‘ on Biblegateway.com and it came up with 158 possible matches. One match came up with Miriam and Aaron singing praises in the desert while they were traveling to the Promised Land.
And Miriam responded to them, Sing to the Lord,
for He has triumphed gloriously and is highly exalted;
the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea.
Exodus 15:21
The Egyptians had just drowned in the Dead Sea. They had seen a miracle—the water parting in front of the Jewish people and they had been able to cross over safe and securely.
