"But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord my refuge, that I may tell of all your works" (Psalm 73:28).
So the past few weeks have been a little rough... I will spare you all the details but in this trial God has opened my eyes to reveal once again "what is my hope in?" I believe in my heart that my hope is in the Lord and yet in the day to day as well as the trials that stretch me am I really going to the only one who is my comfort? How often do I trade lasting comfort for what will bring me immediate relief? Yet, He continuously seeks me out, He pursues me with an all consuming love. I keep waiting for Him to change, to realize how flawed I am and give up on me or for His affections to wain as He tires of my persistent sins. Yet He never does. His love is never going to change and He loves me as much today as He did the day I laid down all rights to my life and trusted Him to be my Savior. This past week I read a translation of Philippians 4:13 from a late Greek scholar that reads "I am strong for all things in the one who constantly infuses strength in me" I realized that I have been trying so hard for so long to be strong, To carry a weight that I was never intended to carry, sure when I am stretched beyond what I am able then I run to Him and say "help" as Spurgeon once said when I get to the end of myself and have exhausted all of my resources then I come to him. Father help me to run first to you!!!! I read a post on the Gospel Coalition by Paul Tripp and It met me right where I am at so I thought I would share with you... hope it encourages you as it has me.
In a fallen world that does not always operate in the way the Creator intended, and where temptation and danger lurk, these words are also vital: "I have made the Lord God my refuge." Under the heat of life in this broken world you will run somewhere for refuge when you become weary, wounded, and discouraged. But you must remember God is the only hiding place worth running to. He alone can heal the wounds of your heart. He alone can give you the strength you need to get up once more and continue. He alone can give inner peace when there is little peace to be found around you. He alone can forgive your sins and strengthen you when you are weak.
But we often forget that grace has given us refuge. We forget that God welcomes us to run to him. So we run to the creation rather than the Creator for refuge, and when we do, we never get the solace we are seeking. We may successfully numb or distract ourselves for a while, but our hearts are not strengthened or encouraged. The replacement refuges of people and things cannot relieve, only distract us from our burdens, so we have to return to them repeatedly. We never end up strengthen and encouraged. We only end up fat, addicted, and indebted. Are you getting it right? When you are weak, weary, and discouraged, do you run to the one refuge who can deliver peace?O.k. had to add this song.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ouj1Ai4lIeY&feature=related
