GOD IS MY REFUGE!

PSALM 46:1-7  

God is our refuge and strength.  

A very present and well-proven help in trouble.  

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change.  

And though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas, though its water roars and foam, though the mountains tremble at its roaring.  

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of our God.  

The holy dwelling places of the Most High.  

God is in the midst of her and she will not be moved.  

God will help her when the morning dawns.  

The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered and were moved;  

He raised his voice and the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us;  

The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, and our high power].  

Have you ever been in a place in your life when you felt like you had nowhere to go? 

Nowhere to run to in times of trouble? You’re just running around desperately trying to find a place to hide and rest.  

Most of the time when you’re feeling that way you run to something other than God. 

You either run to or back to an addiction that seems like you just cannot get away from. 

You run to something that you feel like has helped you cope through the years. It could be anything from drugs and alcohol to sex and pornography.  

What does the word refuge make you think of? Maybe a building with locks on the doors, maybe a thick-walled fortress, or perhaps something as simple as a canopy to keep you dry in a thunderstorm. 

Whatever picture comes to mind, it can be agreed that a refuge is a safe place. When the Bible describes God as our refuge, it is saying that God is our safe place when we need protection from something. 

Knowing that God is our refuge enables us to trust in him more freely. We don’t have to fear situations where people threaten our well-being, whether in a physical sense or spiritual sense. 

There is no situation where we’ll ever face that is out of God’s control, so the best place to be, always, is right with him.  

In Proverbs 18:10 it says – The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.  

I don’t know about y’all but when I think of God I think of him as a big and mighty tower. 

That I can always run to no matter any situation and I can be protected from all of the evil things around me. 

All I have to do is run to him and I’m safe from the evil and torments of this world.  

Now when I was studying I saw that David was a perfect example of someone who knew God as his refuge. 

At different points in his life, David was on the run from people who literally wanted to kill him, but he always found safety in God.  

In Psalm 62:7-8 it says – “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.”  

God is our mighty rock! God is somebody that we can trust and know that in times of trouble we are protected!  

When the enemy comes against you and all of the evil around you is constantly coming at you from all sides and you feel like you are stuck in a corner and you have nowhere to run! 

Run to the Father! Run to the only refuge that will ever be able to help you and protect you!! 

Don’t run back to what you thought was your refuge and run to the only thing that I know that can help you! And that is God!  

We have to learn that there is something greater that we can run to. 

We have to learn that there is a safe place that we can run to so that we never have to run back to those terrible things again. 

We have to learn to pour our hearts out to him so that we are able to see that God is there waiting to help us and that we can run to him for refuge! 

We have to learn that there is a refuge that can completely shelter us from the things of this world and never have to worry about it again! 

God is our refuge! God is our safe place! God is our protector!  

When you go back to verses 5 and 6 of Psalm 46 it says God is in the midst of her and she shall not be moved! 

God will help her when the morning dawns! 

The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered and were moved. He raised his voice, and the earth melted!  

When you run to the refuge of our hearts and you let him completely in and surrender everything down at his feet! 

Nothing will ever be able to come against you again! God is not an absentee deliverer, a defense that is only sometimes present. 

God lives within us and his protection can always be counted on!  

God reminded me of the parable of the prodigal son. It talks about it in Luke 15:11-21. 

One day the younger one of the two sons asked his father for his share of the property and a few days later he took everything he had and left.

After a while the son spent everything he had and a severe famine had come into that country and eventually had to beg a random citizen for something to eat because he had nothing. 

The citizen sent the prodigal son out into the fields to feed the pigs. When he finally came to his senses he went to his father. 

But while he was still a little ways off his father saw him and was moved with compassion for him and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 

And the son cried to him and said father I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 

But the father told his servant to quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him and a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 

And they ate their best calf to celebrate. The father said my son was as good as dead but now he is found.  

You can go years away from God and have sinned and sinned and sinned against him.

And you can do the most horrible things. But when you finally come to your senses and realize you need a safe place to run to. 

And you fall down at his feet and cry out to God I am not worthy to be called your son or your daughter. 

He is already there waiting at the door with welcomed arms ready to give you the best robe he has and a ring for your finger and sandals for your feet.  

It doesn’t matter what you did or how long you were away from God!! 

All that matters is that you finally come to your senses and run back to the refuge that is like no other! 

The safe place where nobody can get to you.  

While I was writing this message the song that my Mimaw sings God is my refuge kept playing over and over again in my head and all I could do was cry.

 The verse he is my strong and mighty tower that I can run to! 

I am so thankful for a God that we can always run to no matter what the circumstances may be! 

We could be at our lowest point in our lives and all we have to do is run to him and he could bring all of those struggles to an end!  

We have to stop running to the things of this world and start running to the refuge of our hearts!! 

When you go further down in those scriptures in Psalm 46:10 the Lord says be still and know that I am God! 

We have to learn to be still and let God help us! Instead of one sign of trouble or heartache or even a mountain that looks too high to get over we instantly run and go back to the things that only make things worse for us! 

When we run back to our addictions instead of God we only run further into what we are trying to get away from!  

Church it is time to find our way back to our refuge!! Our high tower!! 

It’s time to run to the only thing that could ever save us from all of the struggles and sorrows of this world! 

And that is God! He is our ultimate refuge! Our safe place!! 

Our strong and mighty tower that we can always run to! 

Not a sometimes or a maybe later God; but a God that we can ALWAYS run to no matter what you went through or what you’ve done!!  

In Psalm 62:6 it says – On God my salvation and glory rest; he is my rock of strength, and my refuge is found in God!  

When we are weak God is a firm foundation that we can run to! 

God is our rock of strength to keep us standing up to keep going!! 

When you feel like there is nowhere else to go, that is when it’s time to realize that our refuge is only found in God and run as fast as you can to him!  

Our strength can be found at the altar on our knees seeking God’s face. 

Our peace can be found at the altar desperately looking for a place of comfort! 

Deliverance can be found at the altar surrendering everything down at Jesus’ feet!  

In Psalm 61:1-4 it says Hear my cry, Oh God; listen to my prayer. 

From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is overwhelmed and weak; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 

For you have been a shelter and a refuge for me, a strong tower against the enemy. 

Let me dwell in your tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of your wings.  

When your heart is overwhelmed and weak, call on God and he will listen to you! 

When you’re needing somewhere to run, run to God and find shelter underneath his wings —instead of finding shelter in the evil of this world. 

Are you dwelling in the house of sins? Or are you dwelling in the presence of God?  

It’s time to come home!! It’s time to come back to our father’s house!! 

Come and take refuge in God that you have been so desperately searching for! Prodigal son, it’s time to come home! 

Even though you can’t see God, he sees you and he’s waiting at the door with open arms ready to welcome you back home!  

Are you tired of running? Are you tired of trying to find a place to rest? 

Are you tired of being disappointed in the things that you have tried to find refuge in but only made things worse? 

Well, I’m here tonight to tell you about something greater that you can run to! 

And that is God! God is the refuge that we so desperately need! God is our shelter in the storms and trials of our lives!! 

God is the strong and mighty tower that we can run to, to get protection!  

So if that’s you and you’re here. And you have been running around so desperately trying to find a place to rest. 

I want you to come to this altar and surrender everything to God and find refuge in him! 

Don’t walk but run back to the arms of our father! 

Because he is there waiting for you, you just have to come back to him!