God is our refuge and strength

Introduction:

All of us if we are living right will from time to time find ourselves in some form of:

Trouble

Ø Challenge

challenge

Difficulty

life does not exempt the Christian the believer from having to go through some form of trouble.

It goes without saying that we are living through some challenging and difficult times. Everywhere we look, and all that we hear, there don’t seem to be any good news, and I would even have too challenge my own statement, because I believe that the earth and the world is full of good news the problem is we have found ourselves tuned into nothing but bad news. There are some good things going on in this world but we have to search deep and look hard to find them.

One would think that if a person had God on his or her side they would be exempt from:

trouble,

pain, and

heartache.

But such is life as Solomon has said to us in the book of Ecclesiastes, he is teaching that everything has its time, that there is a time for everything under the sun and there is no escape, or way out, there are no fix situation, but everything is temporary.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:1–13 NKJV

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 3 NKJV

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past. Moreover I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, Wickedness was there; And in the place of righteousness, Iniquity was there. I said in my heart, “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

If we look carefully the psalmist is speaking of trouble in the earth:

Verses 2-3 The mountains and the waters are in trouble

Mountains are being carried away

The mountains are shaking and swelling

Mountains in scripture:

The Old Testament

Mountains provide some of the most majestic vistas of God’s creation.

The mountains themselves are monuments of beauty and power, but it is the quality of the experience on the mountain that is most important.[1]

Mountains” in the Old Testament that are important because of their religious significance they also point to the power of the Creator.

The phrase “mountain-top experience” grew out of various scenarios in the Old and New Testament, in which God’s presence and activity is directly linked with a specific mountain.

Abraham and his son Isaac

Mount Sinai- the presence of God

Elijah the prophet

Throughout scripture the mountains reference either God, or an experience with God,

The New Testament

Jesus was taken upon a high mountain during his temptation,

Jesus teaching on the mount

Jesus taken upon the mount of transfiguration

The water is roaring

Water in scripture:

The water is troubled

Bread and water are the basic substances needed for maintaining physical life

Water in scripture is always associated with power and some form of cleansing,

The great flood during Noah’s day

God leading the children of Israel through mass bodies of water

The Red Sea

The Jordan River

Water is a source of life, composing eighty percent of our bodies and the earth, given by God to sustain us.

The figurative use of water stands out in the Old Testament. The “flowing” of justice and righteousness

the “spring of living waters, the source of true spiritual life

), the source of true spiritual life

The New Testament:

Birth by “water and the Spirit” was necessary for one to be saved (). Baptism was truly sacramental, indicating an external sign of inward spiritual grace. Jesus asserts that those who believe in Him would have wells of “living water” springing up in them (); these people would have eternal life and would not thirst again ()

These are challenging situations, when the mountains which represent power and the impossibility of removal are being moved, that’s a problem,

Verse 6 the nations are raging,

The kingdoms are moved

But the question which remains to be answer is, in time like these who and what are you going to trust,

Who, what, and where are you placing your confidence,

Are you putting your faith and trust in God during challenging times,

Psalm 20:7–9 NKJV

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright. Save, Lord! May the King answer us when we call.

Man has always had the tendency to trust in his own power and abilities:

His money,

His power,

Save, Lord!

His prestige,

May the King answer us when we call.[1]

His influence,

God our refuge

Verse 4-5 in the midst of all of this chaos and trouble God has a place for his people, it is a holy place, a holy tabernacle of the most high God,

Psalm 91:1–2 NKJV

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

God is going to always provide a place for his people,

God has always provide a place of shelter during the times of storms and rains,

God is our shelter, it is under his wing that he covers us from the pressures of the world,

A shelter and covering

But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

God has a place of security (protection) for you, and it is in him,

A shade- God has a way of hiding us from the enemy, some time in plain sight,

A rock- he is the foundation upon which we stand and put our trust

A shield- he is there as our protector, shielding us from all the fiery darts of the wicked

The power of God:

The greatness of God power is how it is demonstrated in your life

The presence of God:

The presence of God is demonstrated how he moves in your life

8 They have bowed down and fallen;

God our protector:

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!

For my soul trusts in You;

And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,

Until these calamities have passed by.

2 I will cry out to God Most High,

But we have risen and stand upright.

To God who performs all things for me.

3 He shall send from heaven and save me;

He reproaches the one who would swallow me up.

God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.

God’s Everlasting Love

Romans 8:31–36 NKJV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Roman 8:31-36

Romans 8:31-36

31 What then shall we say to these things?

One would ask the question, What things?

Whatever problem you are experiencing

Whatever challenges you are facing that seem impossible

Whatever difficulties you are dealing with,

If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written:

W

For your sake we are killed all day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter,

But there was one who was slaughtered for your sake,

Isaiah 53:7 NKJV

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

Jesus was in trouble, he found himself in trouble and his only way out was that he would have to die for the sins of this whole world, therefor because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, and through the power of the Holy Spirit of God, we have a agent of God to help and aid us through the trails and tribulations of life.

.

[3] Carpenter, E. E., & Comfort, P. W. (2000). In Holman treasury of key Bible words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew words defined and explained (p. 205). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.