Our Refuge and Strength

“O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!” But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain. I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side. Arise, O Lord! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked! Victory comes from you, O Lord. May you bless your people. " ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭3:1-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Do you feel this way today?  Sometimes we feel like our enemies are numerous and outnumber our friends.  Have you ever felt mocked or made fun of? If so, these are moments of loneliness and despair. At moments like these, the enemies voice seems so loud and the pain is so deep. The only hope is to cry out to God! He is our deliverer!  Notice, in the scripture above, that as soon as the psalmist (David) cried unto the Lord, peace replaced the trouble and hope replaced the despair. He was able to lay down and sleep.  When he awoke, he realized God had protected him during the night. David was fleeing from his own son’s troops (Absalom), who had turned rebellious, and was attempting to overtake David’s kingship. This had to be painful. Your own son trying to depose you as king. Family disputes are always tense and painful.  Have you ever been sleepless over certain troubles? Perhaps you were last night. Cry out to God. He is “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (see Psalm 46:1). He will give you rest. Jesus said this in Matthew 11: “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I Peter 5:7 says: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬ The psalmist concludes with the resolution that he was going to let God fight his battle and that God was his victory.  Today, if you are facing seeming insurmountable difficulties, turn to the Lord, cry out to Him. Trust in Him and let Him fight for you. Stop fighting for victory and start fighting with victory. God is the Victor!!! Prayer for today: Father, in the name of Jesus, I come to you, repenting of any sin that might stand between You and I. Forgive me. I place before you my situation. You, and You alone, can fight this battle and win. Help me trust it all into Your care. I give it all to You. Help me rest in the absolute confidence that You are my victory. In Jesus name! Amen!