Pastor Kris Freeman
Revolution Church
Sunday, March 29, 2020
A Refuge and a Shelter
Scripture: Psalm 91:1-16 and Isaiah 40:28-31 (NLT)
Be sure to check out today’s service on Facebook Live at 10:10 am!
Psalm 91:1-16
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. 4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. 6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. 7 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. 8 Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.
9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, 10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. 11 For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. 12 They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! 14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. 16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”
How do we react in times of crisis and trouble when the enemy comes against us and we need help and assistance?
The Lord said he is a refuge and a shelter.
- The refuge and shelter can be a tower where we hide in or run to
- The refuge and shelter can be a place above the storm where we rise above
- The refuge and shelter can be a challenge we have to overcome to finish our course.
Isaiah 40:28-31 (NLT)
*Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. 30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.*
- The shelter may be where I have to hide when the battle is raging.
In ancient times, the tower was a place of shelter. Overlooking the battle field, the tower was a great viewpoint to get a better perspective. It was secure, guarded and often the place where the royal were protected.
God can be our refuge and shelter by being a strong tower in the middle of the battle.
2. The shelter may be where I have to rise above when the storm is raging.
The eagle is a majestic bird. Even in Biblical times, these birds were known for the strength of their wings to fly through the storm, but their intelligence and instincts to see the storm before it rages and fly above it. God gives us the ability and discern to see both through the storm and sometimes to fly above.
God can be our refuge and shelter by being the strong wings that fly above the storm.
3. The shelter may be at the end of a long journey.
Runners know that for every downhill trek, there comes a time when you have to go back up. The most challenging times in a run are not when we fave smooth sailing, flat land and gravitational pulls, but when we are facing a tremendous challenge in front of us and have to climb the hill to finish. Learning to press on through the challenges and gain strength in the journey to pace ourselves is a key to finding refuge at the end.
In each situation, God has positioned you in the middle of what you face to make it.
May he use this time when things are paced and slowed down to renew your energy and make it to the end.
Be sure to check out today’s service on Facebook Live at 10:10 am!
