Refuge

Refuge: All Your Anxiety on Him
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It was a particularly hot day in Dallas, and I was driving around the city looking for an apartment. Having just graduated from seminary, Lori and I needed to move from the condo we had rented for four years. I had resumes scattered throughout the country but was getting no response, or rather I was getting a response — “No.” We thought we would be looking for a place to live and minister in another part of the country; but, for the time being, we were staying in Dallas. It was a discouraging stretch of my journey.

Refuge: Life Surrender—Spiritual Healing
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The human heart is caught in a contradiction. On one hand, God has placed eternity in our hearts, leaving us with a God-shaped hole. We suffer from an inward famine. We are starving for God. On the other hand, we want to be our own god, call our own shots, be in control of our lives. We are afraid to surrender.

Refuge: The Lord Is My Helper
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The search for a life of confidence is on. Some move from relationship to relationship looking for a sense of peace in a person. Some try to find something to soothe their soul in a bottle, needle, or pill. The recipients of today’s passage must have been putting their trust in the “Almighty Dollar”—the other god. The writer tells them to steer clear of money worship and learn contentment.

Refuge: I Will Rise!
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What happens when we die? Do we enter the grave in a sort of soul sleep until Jesus returns? Do we live as spirits forever? Will we be able to recognize each other? Let’s consider these questions.

Refuge: All My Needs Met
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What do you need to do the thing that God is calling you to do? What’s holding you back? What’s causing spiritual paralysis? What’s causing you to run from God? What’s the one thing you need to make you feel sufficient to follow hard after God?

Refuge: For the Journey
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Whatever God calls us to do, he gives us the “can do.” Whatever the situation, we can do what God wants us to do through his strength. Ability does not come from positive thinking. It comes from the power of the Spirit who lives in us. In every situation, God provides his strength.

Refuge: The Power of Peace
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God’s instruction on worry is not “Get ahold of yourself.” Rather, God wants us to get ahold of him. Worry is the reminder to take our fears to God. Tell him that you’re scared. Confess your doubts. Pour out your dread. Let him know your reservations. Thank God that he hears you and promises to meet you right where you are.

Refuge: PRESS ON!
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The great apostle Paul was a realist. He said, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.” Then he noted that he wasn’t there yet; he had not “already achieved these things.” Can you relate? You are not where you want to be in your spiritual journey.

Refuge: Under Construction
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All believers should wear a T-shirt that says UNDER CONSTRUCTION. We are unfinished projects. God started a good work in us, but he’s not finished. He will “continue his work until it is finally finished.” It will be finished when we take our last breath.

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