Friday, September 13, 2013
"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY- Refuge
Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.
This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)
Just a word and a question (or few)…just a little something to
"fan the flame" of your creativity!
And, to further fan those faith-filled flames (try saying that 10 times in a row!) – I'm adding my favorite devotional from the week!
Today's word: refuge
How would you define the word refuge?
What are the things in your life that you need refuge from?
How does the Lord provide refuge from the storms of life?
In what ways can we take refuge in Him?
Let me know what you think!!
"...The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me...I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies."
(2 Samuel 22:2-4, NLT)
"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." (Psalm 5:11, NIV)
"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, my stronghold." (Psalm 18:2, NIV)
"The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him." (Nahum 1:7, NLT)
"There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain." (Isaiah 4:6, NASB)
(***Look up the word refuge in a concordance - there are SO many wonderful and encouraging words in Scripture that talk about the awesome refuge we find in the Lord!***)
DEVOTIONAL OF THE WEEK:
Even though we are encouraged to call on God throughout Scripture, the average person looks for human solutions first, rather than considering God's loving attention. Over and over He promises His assistance and grace to those who call on Him in their time of need. Regardless of what the crisis in your life may be, lay your problem before Him in trust...
*Give me your peace so that I can see things from Your perspective and make the right decisions.
"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)
(Devotional from: "Grace for Each Moment" Compiled by Kylie Munger from devotionals by Solly Ozrovech, c. 2008, Christian Art Gifts, RSA)
BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"
7 comments:
"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)
Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!
(NOTE: Anonymous comments will be removed. Thank you for understanding.)
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Refuge is a place of solace. At times a hiding place and others just a place to rest. And that is certainly what God provides for us.
ReplyDeleteRefuge is a safe place; a place where one can run when they need a place of safety. God is our refuge in that we can always run to him, his arms are always wide open to receive us, and we are safe with him. Sadly though, you are right, Sharon, we tend to think of human solutions first instead of running directly to God for our strength and our refuge.
ReplyDeletebetty
Refuge is a hiding place, a safe place. God is my refuge.
ReplyDeleteI'm a day late again.
ReplyDeleteI think a refuge is a safe haven. To me, the very use of the word implies that there is something "unsafe" out there from which I am either running or hiding or seeking refuge.
Most of the time, my particular storm is a storm of fear and anxiety. There have been times when I'm seeking refuge from a physical enemy, but mostly it's an enemy of my own design.
God is my safe place because He always tells me the truth. When I run to Him with it and pray and seek Him through the Word, He is always ready with the correct assessment of the storm. Sometimes, I need to know that He's going to calm it or blow it away. Sometimes, I just need to know that He will be there through it, and even if the storm changes my scenery, it will ultimately be for my good. (My head knows that. God has to continually convince my heart.)
Written from Debbie... currently hunkered down in her storm shelter in fear of Hurricane Failure.
Refuge - I like that b/c life gets hard at times....and I know now I can always turn to Him. He is a definite refuge. I love that no matter where we are in the world....all of us can turn to Him and BaBam - He's right there.
ReplyDeleteHugs and wishes Sharon for a great weekend.
Great reminder. Too many times we try to find refuge in other places. It is a dumb thing to do, but we are human and we many times do dumb things. I can't imagine what it would be like to not have the hope and assurance of God's refuge.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Charlotte
To tell you the truth I seek refuge from stress these past couple of weeks.
ReplyDelete