Where Is Your Refuge




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Trust His Instructions

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Exodus 4:11-12 Then the Lord asked Moses, "Who makes a person's mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say."      Chapter 4 is an interesting story of Moses and God interacting. Much like we act today with God LOL He instructs us to do something, and we shoot back with our doubts and concerns. Perhaps we even make a list of our flaws, and insist that He use someone else. What struck me in this chapter and chapters 5-7 as well, is that God had plans to move and work/speak through Moses. Just Moses. However, God being the gracious and merciful Father that He is - He allowed Moses to share his concerns and doubts. And like a father to an insistent child, that just doesn't see around the corners of life yet - God said "ok - I'll talk through you AND Aaron". God changed His plans and His "tools...
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Do You Need A Crown Of Victory

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What kind of victory are you needing today? Psalm 149:4 (NLT) For the Lord delights in His people; He crowns the humble with victory. The Lord “delights” in His people. Delights. What comes to your mind as you hear that word? Do you have a memory or vision that pops in your head? I do! Watching young children at play, learning new things. Watching a toddler walk and even run with glee as they are being chased by a parent or grandparent. Yes, I can imagine we can bring this kind of delight to our Lord daily. I’m sure we put on a pretty amusing show each and every day LOL The Lord “crowns” the “humble” with “victory”. Well, these three words just don’t seem to go together, yet our heavenly Father puts them together in high importance. I know He will give each of us a crown when we get to heaven, but this verse let me see that there are “crowns” on us each and every day! Crowns of “victory”! When we are least expecting it, when we are unpresuming of something, THAT is when H...
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How To Get Back On Track

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2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)   " All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work."      As we begin another new year, we all try and think of things we want to do better in our lives. Habits we want to change, things we want to accomplish, places we want to go.... According to these verses, ALL of scripture is useful in one way or another. To guide us out of troubles we find ourselves in and to protect us from choices we might make. How do we "get back on track" for the new year? Well, the easiest way I have found, is reading a Proverb each day that goes along with the date. So on the 1st of the month you read Proverbs 1. Then on the 2nd you read Proverbs 2. This way, if you miss a day for some reason, you just start on the 'date/day' you pick back up on....
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What Do You See In The Mirror

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James 1:22-24 (The Message - MSG) 22-24  Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other.  Act  on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. James 1:22-24 (New Living Translation - NLT) 22  But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.   23  For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.  24  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.  25  But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.      Do you remember what you saw this morning in the mirror? Now that you are on with y...
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No More Pretending

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Do you ever feel like you are a character in a play, and you are wearing a "mask" all the time around others? Or do you feel like you are in the audience, and everyone around you is wearing a "mask"? Well, here is what "we" are told to do about that... Romans 12:9-10 NLT – 9   Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.   10   Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. MSG – 9-10   Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. TPT – 9   Let the inner movement of your heart always be to love one another, and never play the role of an actor wearing a mask. Despise evil and embrace everything that is good and virtuous. 10   Be devoted to tenderly loving your fellow believers  as members of one family . Try to ...
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Which Way Do I Go? Which Way Do I Go?

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How do I know which way to go in life? A question I have asked myself MANY times! Isaiah 48:17 (NLT) Scripture – This is what the  Lord  says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the  Lord  your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. Thought – Not just "the Lord" but my Redeemer! He has taken MY place and suffered a death I do not have to suffer when I die. He is THE actual Holy One of Israel – for me!! He is also WILLING to teach and guide me along the path of life teaching me what is good for me and showing me the paths I should follow. He suffered things I will never have to suffer now. He teaches and shows me things that are good for me. When I follow His guidance and direction, I will NOT get lost, turned around, or off track. It is when I try and do things “my own way” that things go wonky. Application – Remember, right now – that the Lord is MY Redeemer! He is the one that i...
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How Do You Define Yourself

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1 Peter 2:24-25 “He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed. Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls. ” We should not define someone by their lowest moment. Nor should we label them by their weakest moments in their life. Ok, so we have ALL made unwise choices. Sometimes it has affected others, and sometimes only to our own demise.  But what about the legacy we leave behind? I know, I know – in the moment of the suffering or consequences of our actions, it can seem like a horrible legacy we are leaving. Take hope my friend – take hope in knowing that you are not alone! However, the bible shows us several people who have made poor choices, yet what we “know” them by, is their faith in God and not by their weakest moments in their life. Sure, we know the stories of the bad choices, but that is no...
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Let Go Of Your Past & Look Ahead

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Zephaniah 1:4-6 (MSG) "I'll start with Judah and everybody who lives in Jerusalem. I'll sweep the place clean of every trace of the sex-and-religion Baal shrines and their priests. I'll get rid of the people who sneak up to their rooftops at night to worship the star gods and goddesses; Also those who continue to worship God but cover their bases by worshiping other king-gods as well. Not to mention those who've dumped God altogether, no longer giving Him a thought or offering a prayer."      Wow - the book of Zephaniah starts with some pretty harsh judgments on the people of Judah. I see this in our lives today too. We have fallen as a nation/country/world to these false gods and religions. We have turned away from worshiping God and God alone. The parts that jumped out at me, are things I used to do: sneak up to my rooftop to worship the stars, moon, and sun - false gods and goddesses. How sad that must have been for God! To watch His beloved daughter (me)...
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How To Control Or Train Your Tongue

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James 1:26 "If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless."      The strange thing about this verse, is that I personally, don't 'claim to be religious' - rather, I follow Jesus. I have a relationship with Jesus. However, in the eyes of someone that does not have that relationship, or doesn't understand the difference between different 'religions' - call ALL church people "religious". They use the term for people that they see that go to church, act different in situations, and or seem to follow a different standard or set of rules. Good or bad - "religion" can swing to both extremes.      What jumped out at me in this one, is that we can be just as fooled as outsiders. We can do what seem to be 'good works' and 'follow the rules' of what ever it is we believe in.... BUT, if we don't control our tongue.... well, it is like we shatter g...
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How To Have Blessings Bursting At The Seams

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‭‭Psalm‬ ‭135:3, 5-7 Vs 3: “Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to His name, for that is pleasant." Vs 5-7: "I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses."      Wow! These verses are in living color here lately! We are to praise God in all of this strange weather too, it is pleasant to His ears. To think, the 'wind' is kept in a 'storehouse' - wow! I wonder if it is like a wild horse in a barn? Rattling the doors, waiting to burst forth as soon as the door breaks open?? Then with strength and might, when the door is opened, it bursts full force out in to the world! That has to be one BIG storehouse! I see His blessing on us, as something busting at the seams! He has SO much in store fo...
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