God never makes a mistake, never needs a mulligan, and never asks for a do-over. His instruction is perfect, and his plans for you are flawless. Our confidence comes from knowing God shields us; he is our refuge.
Daily Devotion
Daily Devotion
Refuge: The Battle Belongs to the Lord
The giant was nine feet tall! His name was Goliath. Day after day, he challenged the Israelite army to a one-on-one battle, winner-takes-all. After forty days, no one had stepped forward. The soldiers were overtaken with fear.
Refuge: Nothing Can Hinder the Lord
King Saul was in trouble. He was outnumbered by the Philistine army, who held the high ground, so he froze. He and his men took their position under a pomegranate tree. There he waited … and waited … and waited … but his son, Jonathan, couldn’t wait any longer.
Refuge: God Is With You
Since his youth, Joshua had followed the great leader, Moses. Scripture says that no one has ever demonstrated the “mighty power or performed the awesome deeds” that Moses did (Deuteronomy 34:12 NIV). However, Moses was dead. Now, the assignment of leading Israel into the promised land was on Joshua’s shoulders. The weight was heavy!
Refuge: The Rock
God’s righteousness means that he always acts in accordance with what is right and just. And he is the final standard of what is right and just. God is perfect, and all his actions are perfect. He is just in all he does. God can never think, desire, or do evil. He does no wrong. Here’s the way Deuteronomy 32 says it.
Refuge: He Will Never Abandon You
Fear is real and unrelenting. When you feel like you’ve conquered one fear, the thrill of victory is soon replaced by the agony of defeat from another fear. While anxiety visits us all, it is a permanent houseguest for some. The question is not “Will anxiety come?” The question is, “What will I do with the fear when it arrives?”
Refuge: The Lord Is With Us
The people of Israel were free from the slavery of Egypt, but they were not free from the slavery of fear. After exploring the promised land, the majority reported, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Only two men contradicted the discouraging reports.
Refuge: His Peace
We all desire peace—a calmness and steadiness in a confusing and uncertain world. We want peace, and most of us fight against fear.
Refuge: Safe and Secure
What makes you feel secure? Where do you go for safety? What makes you smile a smile of confidence? What delivers a settled peace in your soul?
Refuge: God Will Fight For You
Fear and doubt are uninvited emotions for us all. They roll in like thirty-foot rogue waves and crash onto the shores of our souls. They produce anxiety that leads to more fear and “what if” questions that lead to doubt.
Power in the Psalms: Healer
God stands by the brokenhearted, but he doesn’t just stand by. He is not a passive onlooker or a well-wisher. He doesn’t need to go for help. He comes to us in our brokenness and brings exactly what we need at the precise moment we need it, not a moment too soon, not a second too late.
Power in the Psalms: Unfailing Love
Sometimes we can feel it coming on like a person who loses their footing on a steep climb, we can sense our emotions slipping. The waves of anxiety build until they crash into our hearts and drench our souls. Here it comes, the fear of uncertainty.