I will praise Him!
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Petrie Island, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz
God is within her
31 Friday Mar 2017
Tag Archives: refuge
Lead Me to the Rock
24 Friday Mar 2017
I will praise Him!
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Old Orchard Beach, Maine — photo by David Kitz
Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
(Psalm 61:1-3, NIV)
You are my Strength
23 Thursday Mar 2017
I will praise Him!
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Gatineau Park trail — photo by David Kitz
But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.
You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely.
(Psalm 59:16-17, NIV)
There is a River
01 Wednesday Mar 2017
Posted in Mid-Week Medtiation, Psalms
Tags
Bilberry Creek, city of God, fear, God, mountains, Orleans, refuge, river, streams, strength
I will praise Him!
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Bilberry Creek, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
(Psalm 46:1-5, NIV)
The LORD is a Refuge
12 Sunday Feb 2017
Posted in Psalms, Sunday's Psalm
I will praise Him!
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Waiting for spring — photo by David Kitz
The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
(Psalm 9:7-10, NIV)
The LORD of hosts is with us
05 Sunday Feb 2017
Posted in Psalms, Sunday's Psalm
Tags
city of God, God, Ottawa ON, Ottawa River, refuge, Remic Rapids Park, river
I will praise Him!
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Remic Rapids, on the Ottawa River, Ottawa, ON — photo by David Kitz
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
(Psalm 46:4-7, NIV)
My Rock and my Salvation
21 Monday Sep 2015
Posted in Devotionals, Psalm 62, Psalms
Tags
David, God, Hopewell Rocks, Jesus, New Brunswick, refuge, rest, Rock
Reading: Psalm 62
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
How long will you assault me?
Would all of you throw me down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.
Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge (NIV).
Reflection
Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount by telling the parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-29). One man built his house on sand, while the other built his home on the rock. Only the house built on the rock was able to withstand the floods and storms of life. Having Jesus and his teaching at the very foundation of your life will help you withstand all the hardship and temptation the world and the devil can throw at you.
Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick — David Kitz
Did Jesus use Psalm 62 as his story prompter as he told the parable of the wise and foolish builders? Until we pass over to eternity and can question Jesus personally, we cannot know the answer with absolute certainty; nevertheless, there is a striking parallel between Jesus’ built-on-a-rock parable and Psalm 62.
According to this psalm, David found his rest in God. God was his rock. His life rested secure on that eternal foundation. Here is David’s confession: Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
To David’s declaration of allegiance to the Rock, Jesus adds this thought. Our connection to the Rock is established as we put his words—Jesus’ words—into practice. What is your life resting on?
Response: LORD God, you are my mighty rock, my refuge. In this troubled world you are a sure foundation. My soul finds rest in you. Help me put into practice the words of life—the words of Jesus. Amen.
Your Turn: In a changing world has the LORD become your rock of stability?
The Importance of a Place of Refuge
25 Tuesday Mar 2014
Reading: Psalm 31
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
(Verses 1-5)
In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, LORD, my faithful God. (NIV)
Reflection
We all need a place of refuge. Here as David begins Psalm 31, he pleads with God to hear him, and become a rock of refuge for him. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.
David spent many of his early years fleeing from King Saul. At other times the Philistines were a threat. There were many occasions in which David needed a fortress—a rock of refuge from his enemies. Often he found himself calling out for the LORD to rescue him.
Are we any different? We may not have physical enemies who are seeking to kill us, but in the spiritual realm the demonic forces of hell are constantly seeking opportunities to trip us up, so that they can launch their vicious assault. Trouble and affliction comes to every human life. We are not immune simply because we have put our faith in Christ. We too need a safe place—a rock of refuge.
But the rock to which we flee is not an inanimate object, fixed and unmoving. No, we come to the living rock which is Christ. He travels with us on this earthly pilgrimage. The apostle, Paul reminds us that even the people of Israel wandering in the wilderness were not alone. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:3-4).
The veins of that rock were opened wide for us. Jesus bled and died so that we could experience new life and complete forgiveness. As he hung dying, Jesus called out to his Father with the words of this psalm, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Now daily that living rock accompanies you. He is the fount of forgiveness and a sure refuge in a time of need.
Response: Lord God, I thank you for Jesus. You alone are my rock and my eternal fortress. Amen.
Your Turn: Is Jesus your living rock? Why is the analogy of Jesus as a rock a comfort to you?
I love the Psalms 