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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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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Have you forsaken God?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me.”
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.
(Isaiah 49:14-16 (NIV))

We may forget God, but He will never forget us.

Isaiah was given the words that bring comfort to all who belong to the Lord. It is not possible for God to forget us or forsake us. When we depart slightly from the ways that God wishes for us, He does not cast us off. He waits patiently for us to return to Him, and when we do, all of heaven rejoices. The promise that He gave to Zion (Israel) also holds true for believers.

Jesus said that He is the vine and that we are the branches. We, as Gentile believers, have been grafted into the vine that is Jesus. We are a part of Him. We have a big brother interceding for us at the right hand of God. How can God forget us or forsake us? We are better off today than when Isaiah was given these words. Jesus had not yet come to earth or ascended back to the Father.

Today, both of these have happened, and Jesus does sit at the right hand of God, the Father, interceding in our behalf. The only thing that could be better is to have direct access ourselves, but that time has not come yet. Jesus must return again for His faithful and establish His kingdom on earth.

Will you be among the faithful?

Copyright 1998 – 2015 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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Which type of fear do you have?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.
He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.
(Isaiah 33:5-6 (NIV))

Sometimes, fear is a good thing. It keeps us from jumping off of tall buildings. It keeps us from jumping in front of moving cars. It keeps us honest with God.

Or, it should.

A healthy fear out of respect should accompany your faith in God. You would not expect your children to respect you if they did not fear the punishment of a just and loving parent when they do something wrong. It is the same with God. God wants us to love Him, yet, we should fear the parental discipline if we fall outside of His Will. His Will is perfect. We are not perfect, although we can grow towards that image if we allow Jesus to enter our hearts and the Holy Spirit to fill us. True, we will not attain that image in this world, but through Jesus Christ we can mature into it.

If we trust in God, who is our firm foundation, we have nothing to fear from this world. If we do not have Jesus, then the fear of respect should turn to fear of His presence, for if you do not have Jesus, then you truly need to fear God and His Judgement.

Which type of fear do you have? Out of respect or out of an unrealized dread because you do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.

Copyright 1998 – 2012 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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