#godourrefuge

Open up to God honestly today. Speak to Him as you are, knowing He is your refuge.

#DailyDevotion Are You Feeling Rejected By God? Psalm 43 Defend me, O God, and plead my case. From an unkind nation, from deceitful and evil people rescue me. This Psalm makes up the introit for Passion Sunday. As it looks to Good Friday, we can hear Jesus praying to the Father this Psalm in the Garden as His enemies are about to do their worst to Him. As we read the Psalms and understand that David is writing these from his own experience he is also writing them prophetically, foreseeing what his Descendant will go through for his sake and the sake of the world. David who is loved by God for his faithfulness seems to suffer much in his life. He is the first David. Jesus is the second David as the Davidic dynasty is cut back to the stump of Jesse. David's sufferings is his participation in Christ's sufferings, just as your sufferings are a participation in Christ's sufferings. Isaiah prophesied in chapter 53 the Messiah would be a man of sorrows. So too, David would be a man of sorrows based on all the suffering he expresses in the book of Psalms. As David, so Jesus, looks to God to defend him and plead his case. He seeks to be rescued from an unkind nation and from deceitful and evil men. For David it is most likely the Philistines with whom he is dealing. With Jesus, it is his own people, the Jews. We may also, as people joined to Christ through baptism, have to seek God to defend us and plead our case when the people of the world oppose us. Jesus is our Advocate at the right hand of the Father. 2You are my Mountain Refuge, O God! Why do You reject me? Why must I go mourning while the enemy oppresses me? The LORD is the Mountain Refuge of His people. In today's warfare, we don't often think about fortresses, mainly because we can attack from the air. But if you look at many castles, they are built in the high ground. It's easier to defend oneself from the high ground. In Star Wars, you often hear the Jedi telling their opponent that they have the high ground so the opponent should give up. Our God is the High Ground. Since this is so, David questions why the LORD is rejecting him and letting the enemy oppress him. David should have the upper hand if the LORD is his Mountain Refuge. We pray this as well when we delve into the mystery of our suffering. The only answer is the LORD Himself suffering and dying on the cross at the hands of His enemies and for His enemies. 3Send Your light and Your truth to guide me and take me to Your holy hill, the place where You live. In the midst of his trouble, he still looks to God to send his light and truth to guide him. He looks to go to the holy hill, the place of the tabernacle where God's Name resides. Where do we find the LORD's light and truth? Jesus said in John 10, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Jesus sends us His Holy Spirit to us so we may be able to have the Scriptures and understand they are talking about Him. He gives us understanding that Jesus has taken our pain, sorrow, guilt and shame upon Himself. He gives us faith to believe it is sanctified as it comes back to us to experience as we now become partakers of the suffering and death He underwent for us. As Christ ascended to the Father, He will take us to His holy hill where He dwells when He returns in glory and raises us from the dead to eternal life. Heavenly Father, give us faith to believe Jesus is our Advocate and He is our Savior. Give us patience in suffering, trusting we are in this suffering made partakers of Christ's suffering on the cross and that this suffering will give way to joy and gladness on the day of Christ. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Read the full article

Call unto God and He will deliver you from your troubles! He is Good and Faithful. We are serving a big God and nothing is too hard for Him! Shalom! 🙌 . . . . . . . . . . #GodOurRefuge #GodOurStrength #Psalm https://www.instagram.com/p/CBstWqVFp7O/?igshid=x4ikjqpkb6jv

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