Psalm 91:9-10
For Jehovah is my refuge! I choose the God above all gods to shelter me. How then can evil overtake me or any plague come near?
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
If it weren't so pitiful, it would almost be funny how people have reacted to the recent news about the appearance of the ebola virus in our country. When the deadly illness first struck people in Dallas, Texas, I had Facebook "friends" who actually said, "Omigosh! That's only 6 hours away from here!" Helloooooo! You're not going to get it over the Internet!
Fear is one of the devil's biggest weapons. If he can just make us fear something...if he can confuse us and cause us not to understand, investigate, and/or get all of the facts...he can really mess with our minds and our hearts. And many of us seem to "go there" with warp speed!
In this scripture passage, we are reminded that God is our refuge...our shelter...the "soft (and safe) place to fall". When we are securely grounded in Him...when we are firmly entrenched in the clutches of His hand, what can really harm us?
Does this mean that we will never get sick...that nothing "bad" will ever happen to us? NO! But one of the keys to this passage is the word overtake. Nothing can overtake us when God is in control. When we are safely sheltered in His arms, we can face any challenge...we can battle any illness, or injury...we can work our way through grief and loss - and find a place of recovery and restoration. When God is our refuge, "plagues" may come dangerously close...but we will never be overcome by them.
I am participating in a six-week Bible study with a wonderful group of ladies. One night, the facilitator asked us what was keeping us from discovering our "Best Yes"...from doing what we know that God is calling us to do - and finding a million excuses for doing anything and everything else. What is really holding us back? And the answer we collectively agreed upon was...fear...fear of the unknown...fear of what might (or might not) happen...fear of rejection and ridicule...fear of failure. And we had to agree that for those who truly believe in the shelter and refuge of God Almighty, fear is totally ludicrous!
So I guess my question for us today is this...are we really dwelling in the shelter and refuge of God? Or have we stepped away and given the devil a chance to latch hold of us? God's arms are open...He is waiting to offer us safety and protection. In His grip, nothing can overtake us. So where will you choose to reside?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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