Cabin Devotion with Miss Joyellen

Our Refuge, Strength, and Help

Scripture References: Psalm 46:1-3

Read these verses and ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you through the scripture. There is a lot in these few verses, so take the time to read them slowly, and make note of anything that stands out to you.

Devotional:

I assume that like me, you were looking forward to a lot of great things this summer. A lot of things that we thought were promised to us did not happen. Our school years were cut short. Our summer at Tap was cancelled. You probably also had a lot of other things that were not able to happen, and our lives have looked a lot different than we imagined them to be this summer. Even though these things we were hoping for didn’t happen, God has given us promises that we can be confident in, promises that He will always keep. Psalm 46:1 alone gives us three promises of God that we can hold onto.

1. God is our Refuge - We can be assured that we can find safety in God. It is easy for us to try to turn to friends, family, social media, school, etc. to feel secure during times of uncertainty. These things can bring us comfort and make us feel safe for a little while, but always fall short and will fail us. In the long run, God is our ultimate refuge where we can run to and find safety.

2. God is our Strength - When we are burnt out, God promises to be our strength. It feels like we have been in these circumstances caused by COVID for so long and we do not know when it will be over. It is hard to have the motivation to continue to live every moment for Christ and stand strong in our faith, but God promises to be our strength, so we need to rely on His strength to continue living for Him in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in.

3. God is our Help - God promises to help us in times of trouble. When the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, God was their help, and He delivered them to the Promised Land. When David faced Goliath, God was his help, and He delivered the Philistines into the hands of the Israelites. When Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem, God was their help by providing the stable for them to stay in when Jesus was born. Just like these examples, and countless others in the Bible, God is our help as well. When we face hardships in our lives, God is there for us and wants to provide for us and help us get through whatever it is we are facing.

It is a comfort to know these promises when so many things are uncertain in our lives right now. We can know that God is our refuge, our strength, and our help. We need to turn to Him daily and ask him for his refuge, strength, and help. Matthew 7:7-8 says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” If we seek God’s refuge, strength, and help, He will be faithful to his promises and we will find what we are looking for in Him. When so many things are uncertain, focusing on the promises of God can bring us comfort and help us get through the circumstances we face.

Next Steps:

· Pray that the Lord will be your refuge, your strength, and your help during times of trouble.

· Thank Him for the promises that He has given us through His word.

· Sit and reflect on Psalm 46.

· Read a through the Psalms! Even if it just one Psalm a day and look out for more of God’s promises in the scripture. Every time you see a promise, make note of it, and think about how that promise effects your life.

Love,

Miss Joyellen