II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 2; Philippians 1:9-11 - "Refuge"

Some days are tougher than others...

Some days you just want to throw up your hands and quit...

Some days there are more tears than ever before...

Some days are ones you just want to be over and never experience again...

And then you read something like this...

God is all we need to get through 'tough' days like we experienced yesterday. Nothing was a surprise to Him. I had prayed and asked God for His will with Doc's chemo yesterday. I didn't pray for Doc to be so nauseated that he couldn't take it but I prayed if he weren't to take it, for there to be a roadblock. We have to accept however God answers our prayers. I did not desire having a tire sliced open but God knew I needed to have a release in my emotions that were getting so great. "As long as you have God, anything and everything is possible" is a reminder that when days like yesterday happen He is still in control. This morning He took me to Psalm 2. The last three verses of this Psalm spoken by the Holy Spirit speak greatly to me. It reads in The Voice:

So leaders, kings, and judges,
    be wise, and be warned.
 There is only one God, the Eternal;
    worship Him with respect and awe;
    take delight in Him and tremble.
 Bow down before God’s son.
    If you don’t, you will face His anger and retribution,
And you won’t stand a chance.
    For it doesn’t take long to kindle royal wrath,

But blessings await all who trust in Him.
    They will find God a gentle refuge.

I love that last part! But blessings await all who trust in Him. They will find God a gentle refuge. Woo hoo! As we trust Him, our love for Him will shine brightly. As it does, people will desire to be in relationship with Him. His love is the greatest thing we can ever share. His love is what gets us through the 'tough' days of life. His love is more powerful than anything on this earth. Plain and simple. His love is the key to living life. He empowers us to love with His love and to stand in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in II Timothy 1:7. That is how I desire to live every day. As I do, I will find refuge in Him as Psalm 2 speaks of. Matthew Henry wrote about this Psalm:

Whatever we rejoice in, in this world, it must always be with trembling, because of the uncertainty of all things in it. To welcome Jesus Christ, and to submit to him, is our wisdom and interest. Let him be very dear and precious; love him above all, love him in sincerity, love him much, as she did, to whom much was forgiven, and, in token of it, kissed his feet, Luke 7:38. And with a kiss of loyalty take this yoke upon you, and give up yourselves to be governed by his laws, disposed of by his providence, and entirely devoted to his cause. Unbelief is a sin against the remedy. It will be utter destruction to yourselves; lest ye perish in the way of your sins, and from the way of your vain hopes; lest your way perish, lest you prove to have missed the way of happiness. Christ is the way; take heed lest ye be cut off from Him as your way to God. They thought themselves in the way; but neglecting Christ, they perish from it. Blessed will those be in the day of wrath, who, by trusting in Christ, have made him their Refuge.

I desire to have God as my Refuge. Nothing is a surprise to Him. Nothing. As we seek His will, we will realize it in a mighty way. As we love with His love, we will be filled with more of Him. As we believe in Him, He will become more real to us. We must remember "As long as you have God, anything and everything is possible"! I am so thankful for this knowledge.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for being with me yesterday when I broke down emotionally in seeing the sliced tire! Thank You for being with Doc when he made the decision to not go through with the chemo! Thank You for being with him through the day of being so nauseated! Thank You for all the ways You love on us! Father, cleanse me so You can fill me today in a new, different way. May You speak so clearly and may I not only hear You but walk in obedience to You today. May You be greater than the obstacles that come my way. May I see them as opportunities to grow deeper in my faith. Lord, I pray Paul's prayer from Philippians 1:9-11 over myself today. I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God. Thank You Jesus for being My Refuge! Amen.