Sheltering in God

Psalms 46:1-5, 10-11

SOMETIMES GOD HAS TO REVEAL ALL THAT IS AGAINST US SO THAT WE CAN APPRECIATE ALL THAT IS FOR US. ITS GOOD TO KNOW THIS MORNING IN TIMES LIKE THESE THAT GOD IS ON OUR SIDE. BUT JUST BECAUSE GOD IS ON OUR SIDE THAT DOES NOT EXEMPT US FROM TROUBLE. FAVOR DOESN’T MEAN THINGS WILL ALWAYS LOOK FAVORABLE!!

ONE OF THE GREATEST TESTS OF FAITH IS TO BE STILL AND KNOW THAT HE IS GOD. THE REASON IT'S SO DIFFICULT IS BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO BE STILL WHEN EVERYTHING AROUND YOU AND INSIDE OF YOU IS SHAKING.

THIS WORD REFUTES THE IDEA THAT IF GOD IS WITH YOU, YOU WON’T HAVE ANY TROUBLE OR ADVERSITY. FAVOR DOESN’T MEAN LIFE WILL ALWAYS WORK IN YOUR FAVOR. FAVOR MEANS IT WORKS IN MY FAVOR EVEN WHEN IT DOESN’T WORK IN MY FAVOR!

HE IS OUR REFUGE - EXTERNAL PROBLEMS, AND STRENGTH - INTERNAL PROBLEMS. GOD JUST HOLDING YOU FROM THE INSIDE! YOU CAN’T JUST HAVE A REFUGE AND NO STRENGTH NOR STRENGTH AND NO REFUGE.

SECURITY ISN'T A PLACE IT'S A PERSON. God's presence clears away trepidation and sorrow, despair and self condemnation, comparison and envy,

THE BOOK OF PSALMS CAPTURES THE VAST ARRAY OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER.

The book of Psalms is one of the most beloved books of the bible.

The book of the Psalms is the hymn book of the Hebrews.

It comes from the heart and reaches the heart.

It helps us to express the unexpressible.

It provides therapy for the soul.

So the book of Psalms is written so that God’s people can “feel” Him. God is not just some abstract idea. He isn’t just some thought in the universe. No He walks with me, talks with me, tells me that I am his own. That is was Psalms is designed to allow my flesh to reach out and touch God.

You remember Jesus took Thomas’ hands and allowed him to feel his hands and side. That’s when it clicked for Thomas. Anybody was ever reading the Word or priaising God at church and the preacher was preaching but all of a sudden something touched you and the light came on.+

God inhabits the praises of his people. We can be with God and not sheltered in God. Meaning we have to put our trust in God in order to shelter in God. When we worry and fear it means we are trusting something outside of God.

But when we turn to God we find shelter. That is why it's called a refuge. Re means again. We keep running into him again. We forget because we live in a world to promotes independence.

A palm tree’s roots has to continually grow deeper. It finds the rocks that are underneath the surface and the roots wrap themselves around them. We have to grow deeper so that when the wind blows we will bend but not break.

God is our refuge not from but in.

God is our refuge and strength. God is on our side. God is the Trinity which speaks to what God can do in creation. It speaks to His power.

How many of us can declare you don’t know where you would be in this pandemic if you did not have the Lord on your side. The reason you are stronger, better, wiser, holier is because of the presence of the Lord. If I were to ask every believer to give me their top 3 books of the bible, without a doubt 99% would have in that list the book of Psalms.

GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH AND THEREFORE WE WILL NOT FEAR. NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING FEAR JUST SENSE IT DOESN’T HAVE YOU. FEAR BECOMES A SIGN THAT GOD IS ABOUT TO MOVE LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

TROUBLE MEANS GOD IS MOVING!!!

GOD HAS TO “REMOVE” SOME THINGS IN YOUR LIFE. WHAT THAT MEANS GOD IS MOVING US THAT’S WHY THE WORLD IS LOOKING DIFFERENT. GOD IS REPOSITIONING ME IN MY FAITH, GIFT, EFFECTIVENESS, IMPACT.

WE BECOME TROUBLED BECAUSE GOD MOVES OUR CRUTCHES!!!

LOOK AROUND YOU AND BE DISTRESSED

LOOK WITHIN YOU AND BE DEPRESSED

LOOK ABOVE YOU AND BE BLESSED

OUR ISSUE IS WE GET TOO FAR AHEAD OF GOD. WE CONVINCE OURSELVES TO FEAR THINGS THAT EITHER HAVEN’T HAPPENED OR DON’T ACTUALLY EXIST. FEAR IS FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL. Insi

STAGES OF ANXIETY

CONCERN

WORRY

ANXIETY - If we stay at this level too long we run the risk of becoming worriers. But I can worry and worship at the same time. You can’t serve or give yourself to two masters.

YOU HAVE TO DISCERN WHOSE SPEAKING:

THE VOICE OF FACTS

THE VOICE OF FEAR

THE VOICE OF FAITH

PRAISE HAS A PURIFYING AFFECT ON YOUR RESERVOIR

YOU MUST HAVE A PRAISE ON THE INSIDE BECAUSE PRAISE IS THE RIVER TO YOUR SPIRIT. IT CLEANSES YOUR SPIRIT OF ALL THE CLUTTER AND ALL THE THINGS YOU HAVE ALLOWED TO SIT IN YOUR RESEVOIR. YOUR SOUL COLL

GOD HAS TO GET US TO THE POINT WHERE WE TAKE THE FOCUS OFF

1. AROUND US

2. UPON US

3. ABOVE US

WHEN GOD IS IN THE MIDST YOUR PROBLEM MAY KEEP MOVING BUT GOD WILL STILL YOU. SEE IF YOUR PROBLEM STOPS BEFORE YOU GET STILL YOUR PROBLEM GREW BUT YOU DIDN’T GROW. THAT’S WHY JUST BECAUSE YOUR STORM IS STILL RAGING IT DOES NOT MEAN GOD HASN’T ALREADY DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

YOUR STORM HAS A VOICE.

BUT IT'S JUST LIKE THE DEVIL HE HAS A ROAR BUT JESUS REMOVED HIS TEETH AT CALVARY. HE SAYS YOU ARE GOING TO DIE. YOU ARE GOING TO FAIL. IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK OUT. IT'S GOING TO ALWAYS BE LIKE THIS. BUT BE STILL.

GOD’S PEACE IS NOT PEACE THROUGH THE ABSENCE OF STORM. BUT PEACE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM. THE PSALMIST EXPECTED TO OPEN HIS EYES AND HIS WORST NIGHTMARE WOULD BE BEFORE HIS EYES. BUT WHEN HE OPENED HIS EYES WHAT HE WAS HAD BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT GOD HAD ALREADY WORKED IT OUT!

HERE’S YOUR PEACE! GOD WAS THERE BEFORE THE STORM!!! THE STORM CAN’T MOVE GOD!!!!

When the Psalmist feels overwhelmed he changed his stream. Remember in Genesis there were four streams that flowed out of the garden. I WANT TO ASK YOU TODAY, WHAT ARE YOU STREAMING? SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR INNER NARRATIVE. THAT IS JUST WHAT YOU ARE TELLING YOURSELF. WHAT ARE YOU TELLING YOURSELF?

God has more than one way to get blessings and provision into our life.

Breakthrough

Sometimes your city which is your inner life doesn't want to be glad because what is on the outside has gotten on the inside. City is your heart.

Story is told about the this man who was new a new citizen. And one night he heard the man say the king is backbin the castle. He said but how do you know? Because it will be all lit up!

When Jesus is at home in you, you'll be all lit up! You can highlight the positives. You can emphasize the good. You can put the stress on the right end.

Songwriter said sometimes you have to encourage yourself. Have to speak Victory during your test. Speak over yourself.

But God has a power in you that will make you glad. Smile when you not happy. What is this?

The book of Psalms is like a bridge that connects the heart and the mind. There are some things that my heart knows that my mind has not yet accepted. Faith is not about feeling but who would serve a God they couldn’t “feel” sometimes.

Insight into a Greater Purpose

Uplift from a Higher Perspective

Deep Peace

River not reservoir

Draw from your internal stream

THE LORD OF HOSTS IS WITH US - GOD HAS YOUR ENEMIES

THE GOD OF JACOB IS OUR REFUGE - GOD HAS YOUR INNER ME. Sometimes the chaos in our souls can create the chaos in our life. We can worry some problems up. Job said the thing I feared the most has come. God of Jacob means God does not walk out on us when we limp.

God doesnt want us walking around with a false sense of security. Times of ease and comfort can make us weak.

Heals our discipleship vs 6-7 servant always blessed, cant beat God giving. Not absence of temptation, diet with doughnuts

Heals our relationship vs 8-9

Heals our worship vs 10-11

We can't stay angry. We can't stay upset. We can't stay disappointed. The rivers will make you glad.

You know you sheltered when in the middle of the storm you can lift your hand and say though He slay me yet will I trust Him! After you done all YOU can. Not all that can be done. But all you can.

Having you there makes the difference... I thank you for your mercy,

Be still and know that He is God. We can only be still when we truly believe God is presently active in every affair of my life. God is not just concerned about the big things but the little things. That might be the biggest issue is we don’t shelter in God in the little things then they become too big for us to manage. God will allow you to keep fighting until you recognize it's too big.

We don’t shelter in God until we reach the end of ourselves. We would all love to have testimonies that we came to Jesus just as we was. But truth be told we came to the end of ourselves and right at the end of ourselves we find the shelter!

GOD IS GETTING READY TO DO THINGS WE NEVER SEEN. YOU GONE LOOK BACK AND DECLARE I NEVER WOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING OUT OF THAT! PAUL SAID WHAT EYE HASN’T SEEN AND EAR HASN’T HEARD AND NEVER EVEN ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF GOD THE THINGS GOD HAS PREPARED.

IF GOD IS AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR STORY HE WILL BE AT THE END! IT CAN’T END LIKE THIS! THE WORLD CAN’T END LIKE THIS BECAUSE THE DEVIL WOULD GET THE GLORY. GOD HAS TO BE EXALTED SO THAT EVERYONE CAN SEE. PEOPLE ABOUT TO BE SAVED THAT’S NEVER BEEN SAVED.