WHERE IS YOUR REFUGE

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Today’s Reading:

Joshua 20:1 - 9

“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for your cities of refuge” (v. 2)

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Refuge is defined as, “shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc., a place of shelter, protection, or safety, anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape.” More than anyone else in Scripture, David talks about God being our refuge. Prior to that, God himself makes the idea of refuge important by having Moses establish “cities of refuge.” Six cities were designated as cities of refuge (Joshua 20:7 & 8).

We can have refuge when anyone makes the decision to follow Jesus, they receive the refuge of God. This refuge is called salvation. It is through the refuge of salvation that we are rescued from the dangerous kingdom of darkness and brought into the protection of the kingdom of light. Ps. 91 and Ps. 103:4. God is our refuge when we belong to him. We can seek and find refuge. The cities of refuge that God had Moses set up had to be sought out. A person had to go there. Knowing the cities were available wasn’t enough. Likewise, we can seek and find additional refuge in God. We can go to him in prayer, and we can seek refuge in his word.

We can demand refuge. One of the words in the definition of refuge is recourse. This is a legal term which is a legal right to demand compensation or payment. When God saved us, he did it legally. He instituted the new covenant and ratified it by the blood of Jesus. We have been given covenant rights that God wants us to partake of. Jesus said in Luke 10:19, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

Knowing God as our refuge enables us to trust Him more freely. We need not fear situations or people who threaten our well-being, whether in a physical or spiritual sense. There is no situation we will ever face that is out of God’s control, so the best place to be, always, is right with Him. “The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10). No matter what our circumstance, the safest place to be is always in the center of God’s will. He promises to be our refuge: “‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So, we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’”

(Hebrews 13:5–6).

OWOLABI SUNDAY

Prayer:

1. O Lord, I surrender my life and everything unto you, in Jesus name.

2. O Lord, I confess that You are my refuge and my fortress, in Jesus name.

3. I declare that Lord you are my help, in a moment of need, arise, and help me, in the name of Jesus.

4. Lord God, I ask for the grace not to be confounded by life challenges, in the name of Jesus.

5. I decree peace upon every situation of my life, in the name of Jesus.

6. God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble, in Jesus name.