Have you turned all your troubles over to the Lord?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
     a stronghold in times of trouble.
(Psalm 9:9 (NIV))

Just how much trouble do you need before you turn to the Lord for strength and refuge?

Is it something major such as a serious illness or death? Perhaps it is something less serious such as a lost job. Perhaps it is something that doesn’t even effect you as directly as these, such as a child who is questioning their faith.

Are you too proud to turn anything smaller than these over to God? Do you honestly think that God doesn’t want to be involved in the smaller matters of your life? What do you do with such things as rushing to work because you overslept? I am sure that we have all said things that we wish we hadn’t said. God can help in these areas, as well. He is a refuge for the oppressed no matter how big or how small the troubles that we find ourselves in.

I would venture to say that we all have people that we like to confide in when things are going less than perfect. Someone who we spill the very details of our troubles to. Why is it that we only turn to God when things are extremely bad? We are a people looking for solace and comfort. Why do we only earnestly seek this comfort when things are extremely bad?

I honestly think that ego plays a huge part in this, for we all think that we can handle the small stuff, and then, before we know it, we have crossed that fine line that separates small from something we can’t or don’t want to handle. Perhaps we should simply walk with God and allow Him to be our refuge at all times. If we walk with God at all times, the troubles will not seem as big for we will have seen how He can deliver us through each and every trouble that we have had in our lives.

Don’t get me wrong. God will not keep us from the troubles, but He will walk with us through them. He will guide us through the wildernesses of life no matter how big or how small.

Have you turned all your troubles over to the Lord?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you trust the Lord and shower Him with praise?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
     a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you,
     for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
     proclaim among the nations what he has done.
(Psalms 9:9-11 (NIV))

Trust and praise.

The two go hand in hand. You cannot praise someone that you do not trust, and can you honestly trust someone that does not deserve praise?

With all that is currently happening in the world, I felt led to remind people that we have placed not only our trust, but also our praise, in Jesus. We praise Him for what He has done, and we trust Him for what we know He will do. As humans, we do not like uncertainty. We do not like the unknown. It takes great trust to step out into something that we know absolutely nothing about. It takes great trust to firmly believe in something, even though we may not be able to see it. It takes great trust and faith to know that no matter what the enemy sends our way, we are in His hands. We are in His protection!

Many years ago, my youngest son had to “fall” off of a porch rail for a student film. It had to be convincing for the camera. It had to look real. Unfortunately, there was no airbag or anything else to break his fall from the six foot high rail. The only thing there was a few men, including myself. We devised a method to catch him by locking our arms together and making a “net.” He literally had to fall into our arms.

He trusted us to catch him several times as he fell into our arms.

Do you trust Jesus to catch you when you fall? He is much more reliable than any human safety net. Can you praise Him for catching you? Can you trust Him to catch you in the midst of the enemy’s evil plans? Can you praise Him in the storm?

Trust and praise!

The two are greatly intertwined with each other. The more you trust, the greater the praise. The more you praise, the greater the trust! The more I think about trust and praise, I envision a double strand not unlike DNA. They become so wrapped up in each other, that it is impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins. This kind of trust and praise comes from a maturity in your faith. You have had to experience enough of His promises to know that they are always yes. Only when you trust and praise Him can you fully rely on the Lord to be your refuge, your stronghold!

Do you trust the Lord and shower Him with praise?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What scripture is being fulfilled today?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
(Luke 4:18-21 (NIV))

For hundreds of years, the nation of Israel literally waited for the fulfillment of the prophecy foretold in these words. Yet, as it unfolded right before them, most did not recognize what they had been waiting for. They did not recognize it for they had become so wrapped up in their interpretation of how it would happen, that they did not see God’s interpretation as it unfolded.

If we had been alive at this time, would we have recognized the fulfillment of this prophecy or would we have been like the majority of people? Perhaps even more important is our perception and understanding of what is to come in our life time. We have the luxury of being able to look back through history and see the events as they unfolded. We can recognize the events in hind sight, but how will we be in recognizing the events that are unfolding right before our very eyes?

Jesus will return. He will come for His church when the time is right.

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, `I am the Christ, ‘ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
(Matthew 24:4-8 (NIV))

What scripture is being fulfilled today? What do we look for that is our interpretation of these events? We must focus on God’s Word so that we truly understand God’s interpretation and not our own.

I know that I don’t want to be one who watches things unfold and I miss out on what God is doing because I have my own interpretation. I want to know God’s plans and His heart so that I may see things through His eyes.

God is setting the world’s stage for some amazing events. I don’t want to misunderstand any of them. What scripture is being fulfilled today?

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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When do you turn to the Lord?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
     a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you,
     for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
     proclaim among the nations what he has done.
(Psalms 9:9-11 (NIV))

Do you seek the Lord?

Do you seek Him at all times or only when things are not going the way that you want them to go?

He is a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble, but, if those are the only times that you seek the Lord, then are you truly seeking Him?

It is human nature to turn to someone when you feel that you cannot handle things on your own, but when things seem to be going our way, it is human nature to take the credit. We seem to want God in our lives only when we fail on our own.

Is that how you see God? Is that the only time that you honestly seek the Lord?

Let me pose a question.

For those of you who are married, do you honestly think that the relationship is strong and that you honestly know you spouse if the only time that you turn to them is when you want something from them? Can you honestly say that you know the very heart and desires of your spouse if you never spend time with them?

God is the same way. If we only turn to Him in times of trouble, how do you think the relationship is going? Can you honestly say that you have spent time at the feet of the Lord? Can you honestly say that you know the heart of God and what makes Him rejoice and what makes Him sad?

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, but He is so much more than that if you will simply spend time in His presence. In order to know someone, you must spend time with them. You must learn what makes them happy and what makes them sad. You must learn what they love. You cannot learn this when you are seeking refuge. You learn it when the focus is off of you.

Be still, and know that I am God
(Psalm 46:10a (NIV))

When do you turn to the Lord?

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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It is finished and grace is yours!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.
(Isaiah 53:7 (NAS))

Can you imagine being completely innocent of all charges against you, yet, because everyone else will benefit, you remain completely silent? This is a hard concept for any of us to fully grasp, yet, this is exactly what Jesus did for us! What is just as amazing is that God told this to Isaiah about seven hundred years before it actually happened!

Does this give you any indication of just how much God loves you? He had it planned for Jesus to come into this world and to be lead like a lamb to the slaughter for our benefit.

Jesus died for you and I!

If you had been the only person in history who needed salvation, Jesus would have suffered everything for you alone! He did it without a single complaint. We all have our families that we think we would face danger for, but it is never really certain. Jesus did this for all people who would ever live, and yet He did it for each of us individually.

Reflect on the meaning of this sacrifice and rejoice in the fact that it is finished and grace is yours.

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Find refuge in the Lord!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
(Psalms 9:9-11 (NIV))

God is a God of hope, not despair!

When we are faced with the troubles that the world brings upon us, look up. God gives us hope. Hope for tomorrow. Hope for justice. Hope for eternity. He is our refuge in times of trouble.

Yet, He is more than that. He is our rock, our foundation. Through Jesus Christ, He has given us hope of salvation for the world. He has given those who believe a knowledge of peace that those who don’t believe do not have. If this is not a place of refuge, then we have no place to truly take refuge. God knows what we need and what we seek. It is a place of safety and hope. That place is provided through Jesus Christ.

Sing praises to God and tell everyone you know what God has done for you. Let them know that what you have been given they can have.

Find refuge in the Lord!

Copyright 1998 – 2018 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Jesus is our refuge. He is our stronghold!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
(Psalms 9:9-11 (NIV))

What do you think of when you hear the word oppressed?

Many of us think of someone being treated cruelly or unfairly. But did you know that it also means to burden spiritually or mentally? In simpler terms, it means to weigh heavily on your mind or spirit.

Let’s face the truth. As sinful humanity, there is always something that causes us to feel oppressed. Think about that for a moment and then think about the things in life that we all experience. Things like family issues, money problems, car repairs, home repairs, health related issues, and many other things that have a habit of keeping our minds in despair and away from God.

These are the very things that the enemy uses to trouble us. They are the very things that the enemy uses to distract us and keep us from fulfilling the relationship with God that both we and God want. The enemy knows that we are frail and will become distracted by the troubles of this life, and he uses it all too often.

Sadly, too many of us seem to turn to the troubles when it looks like we will escape them.

Stay strong!

Stay focused on Jesus!

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:2 (NIV))

Why should we feel oppressed? Why should we feel trapped by and in our troubles? Why should we feel forsaken when we have Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior?

Jesus is our refuge, He is our stronghold!

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Jesus is our refuge, our rock and our salvation!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
(Psalms 9:9-11 (NIV))

Now, more than ever in my lifetime, we need to earnestly and sincerely seek the Lord.

Don’t take that last statement wrong. We should always seek the Lord, but with what is going on in the world now, we seem to need Him more than ever.

Do you need Jesus more today than you did last year? Do you need Him more today than when you first accepted Him as your personal Lord and Savior?

For those who truly know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they tend to rely more on Jesus each and every day. We face things in this life that we simply cannot comprehend or make it through without Jesus.

Can you make it through the stresses of life after losing your job without knowing that Jesus is there with you?

Can you make it through the loss of a friend or family member without knowing that Jesus is there bringing comfort into your situation?

Can you make it through a critical illness without the faith that you will be healed, either physically or spiritually?

Can you look at the situations in the world today and not feel hopeless and lost except for the reassurance that Jesus is with you?

Too many people never seek refuge in Jesus. Too many people face the oppression of this life without ever knowing that they have a place of refuge, someone to turn to when the world is overwhelming. In today’s world, it is becoming more and more overwhelming every single day.

Jesus is our refuge, our rock and our salvation!

Don’t be left behind because you never turned to Jesus.

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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By His stripes we are healed!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
(Isaiah 53:5-7 (NIV))

These words do not paint a very pretty picture! The agony of the events of Jesus’ crucifixion are vividly portrayed through these words. They speak of the events in an historical perspective, yet when this was written, the events would not take place for several hundred years! God knew what would happen long before it actually came to pass, and he told Isaiah the events long before they really happened. God IS in control! He was then. He is now, and He will be in the future, as we perceive time.

I don’t know how many actual prophecies that Jesus fulfilled. I do know that the odds against all of them being fulfilled in one person are astronomically impossible, yet, this is exactly what happened. Jesus fulfilled every single prophesy that God had ever given anyone concerning the Messiah about His first coming.

God has given Daniel and John, in Revelation, prophesies concerning Jesus’ second coming. With such astronomical odds against the first event happening, it does not make sense from the world’s point of view that He will return. But, if I were a betting man, I would place my money on God! His record is flawless. His timing is impeccable. His grace is sufficient! His mercy endures forever!

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Hope and not despair!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
(Psalms 9:9-11 (NIV))

God is a God of hope, not despair. When we are faced with the troubles that the world brings upon us, look up. God gives us hope. Hope for tomorrow. Hope for justice. Hope for eternity. He is our refuge in times of trouble.

Yet, He is more than that. He is our rock, our foundation. Through Jesus Christ, He has given us hope of salvation for the world. He has given those who believe a knowledge of peace that those who don’t believe do not have. If this is not a place of refuge, then we have no place to truly take refuge. God knows what we need and what we seek. It is a place of safety and hope. That place is provided through Jesus Christ.

Sing praises to God and tell everyone you know what God has done for you.

Copyright 1998 – 2011 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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