Psalm 9:9-10
The Lord will be a refuge for those who have been crushed, a refuge for times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We need a place of refuge, and you are it because we suffer from the effects of this sinful world upon us. In our lives, we deal with sickness and disease that attack us from within, not to mention the guilt and shame we feel for our sins. We need a refuge from ourselves. Then there are those around us who say and do things that cause us trouble, and that is from those who love us—our parents, children, spouses, or other fellow Christians. Also, there are attacks against us from the world and Satan that hate all your believers; they have declared war against us and would destroy us by any means possible.
But you are our refuge in every situation that would make us feel crushed. You sent your Son here to walk this earth and endure all the trials and temptations we face and more. He was your sinless Son who became sin for us, who took away all our sins and gave us his perfection in its place. So that everyone who seeks you—who trusts in you by faith—you will not forsake. Christ’s forgiveness is for all people; he has removed our sins, and forgiveness is delivered through faith in Jesus, knowing, trusting, and believing he died for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day. We have peace knowing you have saved us; we are restored to you; heaven is our eternal home. Thank you for giving us this place of refuge, and thank you for your love.
So, in turn, may we also react out of love for what you have done; allow us to share this good news about our refuge with those suffering under this life and the world’s burdens so that they will also find a sanctuary for their weary souls in Jesus. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
God will never abandon his faithful, should even our lives be taken from us; as Paul wrote, “Yes, for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Losing our lives means our suffering is ended, and our heavenly eternity has begun.