Oct 13 2021

The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

In this morning's verse from Deuteronomy, Moses pronounces a blessing over Asher, one of Jacob's sons. Let's take a look at the very first phrase of this verse, "The eternal God is thy refuge." What exactly does that mean?

The first adjective, eternal, means that God will always be with us. There is never a time when He will not exist; He has always existed and will always exist. So, we never have to feel alone or unheard… we know that He is always here.

God is our refuge means that He provides with safety, peace, comfort, and a place of rest—security where there is none. We can be anywhere in the world and still be sustained by the Lord. We will never be out of His reach or care.

Think about the challenges that you are facing in the coming days. Do they make you nervous or afraid? Sometimes circumstances are challenging. Yet we can broaden our perspectives, take a step back, and remember who God is… eternal and our refuge.

The Lord is in control of every circumstance; nothing happens unless He allows it. Even if something terrible happens to us, God does not change. He is always good, present, and loving, even if our circumstances cause us to lose sight of that. Make the decision to count on God, even in your suffering, and you will experience Him as your eternal, everlasting refuge.

Dear Lord, thank you for being our refuge in all circumstances. Thank you for always being with us, and for protecting us wherever we go. Help us to serve you well and love you as you have loved us. In Jesus' name, amen.

Oct 12 2021

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.:

In this verse from 1 Peter, we are reminded that the suffering we face each day will soon come to an end. At the time the verse was written people were often martyred for their faith, just as people in some parts of the world today are martyred for their faith. Even if your suffering does not take this form, the Christian's life is difficult, and it can be easy to become weary. Peter's words are a comfort to us today.

Peter calls God "the God of all grace." This serves as a reminder that the Lord is full of grace, and our suffering does not change that. Clear evidence of this grace is the fact that He has called us unto "his eternal glory." We will enjoy His presence forever—a gift we could never have earned ourselves, but nevertheless are the beneficiaries of.

After we have suffered, the verse says that God will make us perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. That's a lot of promises! Making us perfect means that God will continue to sanctify us; suffering evidently plays a part in helping us live holy lives. Establish means that we will be rooted and grounded in the Lord. Strengthen means that the Lord will make us strong in Him, giving us the ability to follow Him, even when it becomes difficult. Settle means that we will have peace. Even if our own suffering may seem unbearable, we can remember that it is pointing to something better if we endure it unto the Lord.

Remember that God does not look down on us when we suffer. He is not watching us with indifference or wishing that we would endure it more faithfully. Much to the contrary, He stepped into suffering for our sake. He did not sit and watch; rather, He came to Earth and died on a cross for us. He endured tremendous suffering so that one day we could experience eternal glory in Him.

Dear Lord, thank you for the promise of eternal glory. I look forward to the day when I will rest in your Kingdom perfectly forever. Thank you for being with me and guiding me every moment of my life. Thank you for your precious love. In Jesus' name, amen.
Add to Favorites

← View Last Verse View Next Verse →