Refuge

Rest…Trust…Refuge

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“Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
    my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God[c];
    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
    pour out your hearts to him,
    for God is our refuge.”

Psalm 62:5-8 NIV

Rest with the Lord.  Put your trust in the Lord.  Find your hope in Him.  He is our refuge, He is the source of our strength and with Him we will know peace.  Do your part…do your best…and leave the rest up to God. Amen.

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“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Philippians 4:4-9 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2021 at The Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cementary)

Taste And See

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“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8 NIV

If ever there was a time to explore faith…to grab a bible, sit down and ask God the questions you want to ask…if ever there was a time to be able to step away from the busyness and read what God has said in the bible.  As with everything, the current days  are all about your perspective…you can choose to complain about what you can’t do or where you aren’t able to go…and focus on why a self-serving life is not satisfying…or you can take the opportunity to learn more about God your creator and to seek a relationship with Jesus Christ…take time to taste and see what faith is all about.  Amen.

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“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

1 Peter 2:1-3 NIV

(This photo was taken in December of 2018 while visiting the Bahamas)

Trust In The Lord

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“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

When you feel lost and alone…frustrated and disappointed…or uncertain and afraid turn towards the Lord in prayer.  Put your trust in Him, He is always with you.

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“Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:3-4 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2022 at Temperance State Park in northern Minnesota)

Trust…Refuge…Rest

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“Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
    my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God[c];
    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
    pour out your hearts to him,
    for God is our refuge.”

Psalm 62:5-8 NIV

Put your trust in the Lord.  Find your hope in Him.  He is our refuge, He is the source of our strength and with Him we will find peace.  Do your part…do your best…and leave the rest up to God.

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“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Philippians 4:4-9 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2021 at The Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cementary)

The Lord Is My Rock

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“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 27:1 NIV

We have been saved…we have a fortress of salvation…we have been delivered by Jesus Christ to eternal life.  Trust in the Lord, there is no greater strength than the love of God.  When we fall down He will pick us up, He renews us and restores us.  His Word is a shelter from evil.  When it feels like the world is crashing down around you look to the Lord for He is our Rock.  Amen.

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“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:2 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

God Is Our Refuge

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“God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.”

Psalm 46:1 NIV

Worries and burdens will pile up.  We set ourselves up for disappointment and regret when we try to go it alone.  God is our refuge, He is the stronghold of our lives.  There is more to our relationship with the Lord than Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings…there is more than quickly speaking memorized words before a meal or at bedtime.  Turn towards the Lord and seek Him.  Pray for His presence to be something you can see in your life and listen for His guidance in everything.  Amen.

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“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”

Psalm 62:1-2 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Arches National Park in Utah)

Come Near To God

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“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

Hebrews 4:8 NIV

“The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.”

Psalm 145:18 NIV

Take time to sit alone with God…pickup His Word and read.  Acknowledge Him and give thanks to Him for where you have seen Him…give Him thanks for the blessings He has given you…they are there and you will see them if you look for them.  Spend time with your Savior, come near to Him and He will come near to you.  Amen.

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“If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.”

Psalm 91:9-13 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Our Refuge And Help

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“You are my refuge and my shield;
    I have put my hope in your word.”

Psalm 119:114 NIV

“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
    the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 NIV

Our troubles can be overwhelming and lead us down a dark path.  We often seek relief in the things of this world and find ourselves disappointed and frustrated.  There is one place where we can find shelter and be safe from the storms of life…that is in the arms of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  With Him is where we can find peace and help in difficult times.  Turn towards the Lord first not as a last resort…for He is our refuge and our source of help.  Amen.

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“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Psalm 121:1-2 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2021 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Our Refuge

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“God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.”

Psalm 46:1 NIV

The Good News is that Jesus Christ came down from heaven and sacrificed Himself to death to save us and reconcile us with God.  He did it because He loves you.  He has risen! He is with you.  He will guide you.  Turn towards Jesus for everything…anything.  He is our refuge.  Amen.

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“Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 at a park near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Our Refuge

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“I love you, Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield[b] and the horn[c] of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:1-2

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“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
    the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)