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God is our Shelter

iStock_000000690510_ExtraSmallThe 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. (Psalm 9:9,10 NIV)

After reading this verse, a weight can be lifted off your shoulders. I personally felt like a balloon would be losing its air, slowly releasing all the pressure.  The Lord is our refuge.  A refuge, is a shelter protecting us from danger.  He is our shelter when a situation causes oppression, when strongholds attempt and sometimes consume us.  Oppression is not a soft term.  Satan has you depressed before you become oppressed.  Strongholds are continuously trying to take root hopefully to see you captured in oppression.  I am evaluating my own self right now.  We lean towards thinking, as we do sometimes, we are totally alone in these circumstances.

King David knew battles

The book of Psalms carries such passion revealed through King David.  He knew about battles.  He experienced many physical and spiritual battles.   The Bible tells us in I Samuel, in everything David did he had great success.   Was this saying he never experienced any hardships in his early days?  He had to pretend to be insane acting like a madman.  An enemy King could not believe his servants would bring such a man into his house! (I Samuel 21:10-15)   Saul had become angry and jealous of David.  He had to flee for his own safety retreating to a cave. David did not stay alone for long, he ended up with close to 400 men to lead.  These men had been in distress, debt, or discontented gathered around them. See, it was not only David God was looking after.  He was looking after all these troubled men as well.  God was with them.  As a matter of fact, when Saul heard about this group, he began chasing them with his own men.  With God being with David and his men, they kept being even more successful during battles.

Some may ask…Why?

We may have someone reading this wondering, why was God with David and not Saul?  The bible tells us God departed from Saul. Saul continued showing signs of compromising God’s directions.   Earlier in David’s life as a shepherd boy tending his sheep, the Lord began preparing him for his future.  He likely never considered events would follow in his life as they did.  Yet, he trusted God.  How do we gain this level of relationship between God and David?

We surrender.  We have to surrender our will, our thoughts, our plans.  We have to surrender during these times when strongholds – addictions have us stuck. It is not by our own strength we overcome.  Jesus, you are with us when we make the decision to know your name, to seek you.  Your promise is to never leave us or forsake us.  If anyone is facing a battle today, feel the embrace of the shelter of God surrounding you.  You are not alone.  He is our refuge.

Be Encouraged!!

Vicki

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