“When a man does love his enemies, he knows that God has done a tremendous work in him, and everyone else knows it too.”
OSWALD CHAMBERS

I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. (PSALM 91:2-3 KJV)

If God is my refuge, then I must be a refugee. Webster’s Dictionary defines refuge as this: “a shelter or protection from danger difficulty or etc.; a person or thing that gives shelter, help or comfort; a place of safety, shelter, a safe retreat.” The writer of the psalm says, “I will” say the Lord is my refuge. The writer “wills” to say that of God. It’s not just something he says because he has nowhere else to go in time of trouble. He “will,” say it. He makes a deliberate move in the direction of God and with his will, says of the Lord, “He is my refuge.” It is a deliberate action on behalf of the writer, and I also must make the decision and act upon with my will that God is my refuge. Many times in my life have sought refuge in various places, none of which lasted. It reminds me of Elijah as he made prophesy against Nineveh, and then went out in the desert hoping that the city would be destroyed. He found himself a little shade under a vine that had grown and leafed out. It was his refuge from the hot sun. Soon a little cutworm appeared and killed the vine that had provided him shade. Many times in life I have sought refuge in places just like that. I have checked into the psych ward at the VA hospital because I could not live life on life’s terms, only to be released back to my same old situation. I have gone to drug treatment and have used it as a refuge only to be released back to my same old situation. I have sought out friends and family to help in times of need, and used them as a refuge, only to discover later that I was still alone with myself. The refuge that I seek and have today is solid and does not wither in time, does not decay as years go by, does not change because of the situations in my life. God is my Refuge and my Shelter in the storm. I don’t have to run to it when the noisome pestilence occurs in my life. I carry my refuge with me, in my heart. God resides everywhere, but where I meet with God one-on-one is in my heart. This is where God is a refuge to me. I don’t have to go somewhere for comfort, I just turn to God and he is there. God does for me what I could not do for myself.

“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”
DEUTERONOMY 31:6 NASB

Moses spoke these words to all Israel just before he died. These are some of his last words. His emphasis was upon the fact that God goes with you, and will not fail or forsake you. Today this promise is just as valid with me as it was thousands of years ago when Moses spoke it. I don’t have to meet with God somewhere, when I will it, God meets with me. Thanks for letting me share, and thanks to my cousin Margaret who reminded me that God is my refuge……………….JRE