Silas
Beloved of All
Your request for protection and safety has been heard and I have lifted you up in prayer before the Lord.
I want to encourage you with a picture God gave in Scripture. In the law God instructed that six cities be set apart as places of refuge, three on each side of the Jordan, placed so carefully that no matter where a person lived he was never more than a short run from safety. At every crossroad a sign was posted pointing the way to refuge, so the one in danger would know where to flee. If someone had caused a death without intent and without malice, he could run to that city and be safe inside its borders. There he would be protected and given a fair hearing. As long as he remained inside he could not be touched by the avenger, but if he left the city he was no longer protected. That place was not for the one who had acted with deliberate anger or who had planned harm. For that kind of willful sin there was no refuge even inside the city.
That picture points us to the Lord Himself. We are told to flee for refuge to Him, and Jesus Christ is that refuge for us. Like those cities, He has been made near and accessible, so that at any moment and from any place we can turn to Him. And the safety He gives is for those who remain in Him, whose lives are hidden in Him and who make Him their dwelling place. To abide in Christ is to stay within that place of safety.
Scripture says God Himself is our refuge and strength, always present to help in trouble. Because of that we do not need to be overcome by fear, even when everything around us feels shaken, when the earth seems to give way and the waters roar. The Lord of all is with us, and the God who met Jacob in his weakness and need is our refuge. That brings His power down to our level, to your situation today.
The psalm also speaks of dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, making the Lord your home. The promise to the one who does this is that God will be your shelter and fortress, your shield through His truth, and that He will give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. A thousand may fall at your side, but when you are abiding in Him you are under His covering.
It is right to take reasonable care in this world, but true safety does not finally come from horses prepared for battle or from any weapon or watchman on our own. Unless the Lord keeps the city, the watchman stays awake for nothing. Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Safety is of the Lord.
So my prayer for you is that you will keep fleeing to Him and remain in Him. Turn to Jesus continually, stay close to Him in His Word and in prayer, trust His presence more than your fear, and rest under His wings. May the Lord Himself be your refuge and strength today, your very present help, and may He guard you, keep you, and give you His peace as you trust in Him.
I want to encourage you with a picture God gave in Scripture. In the law God instructed that six cities be set apart as places of refuge, three on each side of the Jordan, placed so carefully that no matter where a person lived he was never more than a short run from safety. At every crossroad a sign was posted pointing the way to refuge, so the one in danger would know where to flee. If someone had caused a death without intent and without malice, he could run to that city and be safe inside its borders. There he would be protected and given a fair hearing. As long as he remained inside he could not be touched by the avenger, but if he left the city he was no longer protected. That place was not for the one who had acted with deliberate anger or who had planned harm. For that kind of willful sin there was no refuge even inside the city.
That picture points us to the Lord Himself. We are told to flee for refuge to Him, and Jesus Christ is that refuge for us. Like those cities, He has been made near and accessible, so that at any moment and from any place we can turn to Him. And the safety He gives is for those who remain in Him, whose lives are hidden in Him and who make Him their dwelling place. To abide in Christ is to stay within that place of safety.
Scripture says God Himself is our refuge and strength, always present to help in trouble. Because of that we do not need to be overcome by fear, even when everything around us feels shaken, when the earth seems to give way and the waters roar. The Lord of all is with us, and the God who met Jacob in his weakness and need is our refuge. That brings His power down to our level, to your situation today.
The psalm also speaks of dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, making the Lord your home. The promise to the one who does this is that God will be your shelter and fortress, your shield through His truth, and that He will give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. A thousand may fall at your side, but when you are abiding in Him you are under His covering.
It is right to take reasonable care in this world, but true safety does not finally come from horses prepared for battle or from any weapon or watchman on our own. Unless the Lord keeps the city, the watchman stays awake for nothing. Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Safety is of the Lord.
So my prayer for you is that you will keep fleeing to Him and remain in Him. Turn to Jesus continually, stay close to Him in His Word and in prayer, trust His presence more than your fear, and rest under His wings. May the Lord Himself be your refuge and strength today, your very present help, and may He guard you, keep you, and give you His peace as you trust in Him.
