OUR REFUGE AND STRONGHOLD

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“But the Lord will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.”

Joel 3:16b

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As I watched the news last night, a troubling story came on. A teenager had been shot in the neighborhood of one of the cities in this area and as residents were interviewed, it was obvious that this wasn’t an isolated incident as person after person confessed that shootings were more the norm than the exception. It was sad to see them so afraid of what was going on around them as they were immersed in such a toxic, dangerous environment. Looking in the eyes of each one being questioned, I could see a desire for safety, for a place of refuge.

Indeed, life can be a dangerous place at times, filled with more than just a little evil and wickedness, evil and wickedness that can produce a constant threat to any person at any time. It’s enough to paralyze anybody in fear and paranoia of what might be lurking around the corner of our daily happenings and experiences.

So what’s the answer to this problem? How can we dispel our anxieties and fright over the threats we face in our world?

The answer is contained in this simple half verse, our scripture highlight for today from Joel, Chapter 3:

“But the Lord will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.” Joel 3:16b

The preceding verses talked about the judgment God was going to bring on all the nations for the atrocities they had committed against His people. It was to be a decision day, a Day of the Lord when the enemies of the Israelites would be stand before God to be tried for the charges He brought against them.

Note that the people of Israel and Judah were withheld from this day of judgment. They were not included because the Lord had already imposed punishment upon them and they had paid the price for their sins, and a steep price it was, seventy years of exile in a foreign land. It was only after the seventy year penalty had been served that God restored the Israelites to their land where they would once again be His people and He their God, their refuge and stronghold, the One they could rely on for their protection and safety.

This truth of God being the refuge and stronghold for His people was not born during Joel’s day. We can go back to the days of Moses, the man God chose to lead His people out of Egypt, and find him saying these words to the Israelites:

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deuteronomy 33:27a

Fast forward from Moses and you will come to David, the man anointed to replace Saul as the King of Israel, the man described as being after God’s own heart. It’s from the lips of David that we find the greatest testimonies of the Lord’s protective nature. Look at these words, first from his song of praise in 2 Samuel and then from his psalms:

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—from violent people you save me.” 2 Samuel 22:2-3

 “Lord my God, I take refuge in You.” Psalm 7:1a

“Keep me safe, my God, for in You I take refuge.” Psalm 16:1

“As for God, His way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him.” Psalm 18:30

“How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.” Psalm 36:7

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8

“I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” Psalm 91:2

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.” Psalm 118:8

Today, this God of the Israelites, the God professed by Moses, David, and Joel as the refuge and stronghold of His people, is indeed our refuge and stronghold today and He will be forever more.

He is the One who continues to keep us safe, saving us from harm’s way.

He is still the one who shields all who seek sanctuary in the shadow of His wings.

He is still our ever present help in times of trouble.

He is the only One we can truly count on, the only One we can and should trust with our well being, definitely above any human being.

Yes, God is our refuge and stronghold. And as Paul writes in his epistle to the Romans:

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31

Amen

In Christ,

Mark

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