“I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge, and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” (Psalm 91:2)

In the news, we hear a lot about refugees. We talk about those people, and we see pictures of them on TV. But who are they really? They are people who are looking for safety and help. For one reason or another they have been put out of their homes and villages – usually because of war – and are seeking a new place to live and a brand new start in life. We have refugees come to the United States sometimes because they can’t live in their own countries anymore. Just as those people are looking for a safer, better place to live and raise their families, you and I are spiritual refugees. We are searching for a safe place, a refuge – and we find it in God.

The dictionary defines refuge as “a source of help, relief, or comfort in times of trouble.” How is God my refuge? Psalm 91:2 refers to a spiritual refuge, not necessarily a physical one. When we are tempted to sin, what do we do? We need to find a place to get away from the temptation so that we don’t sin. God provides that place. When we are tempted to sin we can run to Him, pray, and ask His help – and He will be our refuge, our source of help and comfort, our safe place.

Next time you are faced with temptation and don’t know what to do, run to God, your refuge. Talk to Him, read His Word, and let Him protect you and be your hiding place from sin and temptation.

God provides safety from all spiritual danger.

My Response:
» Is there any temptation that I need to resist by fleeing to God for protection?

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:11).

Regular readers, please see a special note for you at the foot of this devotional.*

When Michele was eleven, her best friend left their school to go to a different school. Michele’s class was small, and she didn’t feel close to any of the other three girls in the class. She wanted so much to have a best friend that she could talk to.

That summer before sixth grade, Michele’s mom said, “Why don’t you pray that God will send a new girl to your class next year to be your close friend?” She took her mom’s advice and started praying. But she didn’t have much faith. Where would a new girl come from? And even if a new girl did come, would she really want to be her friend? Michele dreaded the beginning of the new school year, because she didn’t believe God would answer her prayer.

Then in August, a new girl named Kelly and her family started coming to Michele’s church. God had moved her all the way to Kansas from the island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean! That fall, Kelly was in Michele’s sixth grade class. She was so cheerful and friendly that it was easy for Michele to get to know her. They quickly became best friends and went through the rest of high school together. They even attended the same college for four years, and still keep in touch today.

Michele would tell you now that God delights to answer the prayers of His children. It brings Him glory when we ask and truly depend on Him for things we need. If we ask for things that are good for us, He is pleased to give them to us at just the right time. But sometimes He goes beyond giving us what we ask for. Often, His gifts are better than anything we could have asked for or even imagined. And His gifts are always the best thing for us.

God delights to answer the prayers of His children.

My Response:
» What am I praying for?
» Am I praying with faith that God will answer in the best way?

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (II Timothy 1:7).

One day when Kelly was in second grade, she flipped a few pages ahead in her math book and saw little clocks all over the pages. She was going to have to learn how to tell time—on non-digital clocks! She was terrified. She was sure that she would never be able to learn that. From that moment on, she worried and worried and worried about the clock lesson.

When the day came to learn about telling time, Kelly was so worried and fearful that she could not even concentrate on the lesson. Just as she had feared, when she got her clock paper back, there were checkmarks next to almost every problem and a sad face at the top of the page! Her fear about that math lesson had taken over her mind and kept her from understanding.

Kelly eventually learned how to tell time on regular clocks. But she still sometimes allows herself to be controlled by sinful fear about other things. Any time that we are being controlled by fear, we are not being controlled by God. His Word says that fear does not come from Him. Instead, He gives us a spirit of power, love, and control. With God in control, we can be calm and clear-thinking, and we can obey everything that God tells us to do.

God does not give us a fearful spirit.

My Response:
» Is there sinful fear in my life that I need to confess to God?

“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16-19)

What are some things that you hate? Brussels sprouts? Folding laundry? Cleaning your bedroom? We all have things we don’t like to see or do, but did you know that the Bible says that there are certain things God hates?

God hates sin. Proverbs 6 says that God hates a proud look. Whenever you look at someone in a way that shows you think you are better than he is, you are giving a proud look. God also hates a lying tongue. Have you ever told a lie or misled someone? God hates that type of sin. God despises it when we plan wicked things in our minds. Have you ever done that? God hates it when His children are quick to run to mischief. God also hates it when we say or do things that cause our friends to fight. Have you ever started an argument between friends? God hates that.

God doesn’t hate people, but He hates the sins they commit. Unfortunately, sometimes we think the sins we commit “aren’t that bad.” You might think, “I’m not so bad. It’s not like I murdered anyone!” But did you notice that Proverbs 6:16-9 puts the sins of a lying tongue and a proud look in the same list with the sin of murder? In God’s eyes, all sin is serious.

Are you committing sins that God hates? Have you been thinking that it’s “no big deal?” Now that you understand how God thinks about those sins, confess them to the Lord and ask Him to keep you from committing sin.

All sin is a big deal to God.

My Response:
» Are there sins that I need to confess to the Lord and take more seriously in the future?

“Behold, the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matthew 6: 26)

Gwen’s bedroom window looks out on a little pond. A family of mallard ducks lives there all year long. So does a noisy flock of Canadian geese. Sometimes in the spring, there is a wood duck with feathers of so many colors that he looks like someone painted him as an art project. Gwen evens see a blue heron visiting the pond sometimes, wading into the water on its long legs and poking its beak into the tall grasses on the shore.

Gwen used to wonder if birds are able to think. What would they think about? She used her imagination…. “Hmm. I wonder if I’ll find my favorite kind of worm at this pond. I hope the other ducks haven’t eaten all the juiciest water bugs! Maybe I should have gone to some other pond. What if I waste so much energy looking for my meal that I’m too worn out to fly afterwards? What if I starve? Who’s going to take care of me?”

Then one day, Gwen read Matthew 6:26. It says that birds don’t have to plant seeds in fields or store up food in barns. God feeds them. They don’t have to worry about their own needs, because God is taking care of them.

God knows your needs, too. Are you worried about something? A move to a new city? A big test at school? A visit to the doctor or dentist? Something you need that costs a lot of money? God knows what you need in each situation. The same God who cares for the birds will take care of you. You matter to Him even more than they do. Trust Him.

God knows our needs and will take care of us.

My Response:
» Am I worrying about something? Or am I trusting God to take care of my needs?

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m so lucky?” Have you ever said it yourself? The truth is, there is no such thing as luck. Whenever something good comes your way, it’s not luck; it’s a gift from God.

God delights to give His children good gifts. What kind of good gifts has the Lord given you? A warm house? A spot on the basketball team? A family vacation or a trip to camp? I’m sure you can think of many good gifts that God has given you, but maybe you hadn’t thought about the fact that those things came from Him.

When you are playing outside on a sunny day, it may seem to you that the sun is changing its position throughout the day, because your shadow will fall in different directions at different times. But it hasn’t – the earth is what’s moving, not the sun.

God, the “Father of lights,” doesn’t move or change, either. He’s always the same. He’s constant, and we can depend on Him – not on good luck – to gives us many good gifts.

All good gifts come from God.

My Response:
» Do I give God the credit for the good things in my life?

“I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:1-2)

Have you ever tried to talk to someone who isn’t paying attention to you? You probably feel frustrated or discouraged if you think you aren’t being heard. It is encouraging, though, for God’s children to remember that God always hears them when they pray to Him. He is never too busy to listen to His children. And He is never uninterested in what they have to say. No matter what time of day it is or where you are, God always hears you.

Sometimes, though, God is the last person Christians go to when they’re having troubles. Instead of going to God, they sulk. Or they go to their unsaved friends. Their friends may be good listeners, but they have no power to give true answers. Maybe God’s children do go to a godly friend or parent with their problems. But the whole time, they may be resisting God, using Him as a “last resort” only.

Who is the person you go to when you are feeling sad, or when you have a need, or when you don’t know how to handle a problem? Do you go to God first? Once you truly understand that the sovereign God is always available, always ready to hear your supplications (your strong requests), you will agree with the psalmist who wrote, “I will call upon Him as long as I live”!

God always hears His children when they call to Him.

My Response:
» Do I go to God first with my problems, or do I use Him as a “last resort”?

“As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.” (Psalm 18:30)

Have you ever tried to make it through a whole day without making a mistake, a wrong decision? When I was little I used to try so hard not to do anything wrong – not to sin – all day long. Of course, it didn’t take long before I did something wrong and sinned. Don’t you wish you could just decide to be perfect – and then not mess up? Well, you and I can’t do that, but there’s Someone that never messes up.

God never makes a mistake; He never sins! The verse I quoted above tells us that God’s words can be trusted. What God says has been “tried.” That means His word has been tested and proved. Isn’t it nice to know that we can trust what God says because He never makes a mistake? He has never made a mistake in the past and will never make one in the future. Even though we make mistakes, we know that God never will and that He can help us make fewer mistakes in the future.

When you mess up, just ask God to help you not make the same mistake twice. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” That includes doing the right thing. With God’s help you can make changes in your own life. Just trust the One who never makes a mistake!

God is perfect: He never sins, and He never makes mistakes.

My Response:
» Do I trust God to help me obey Him, or do I try to do right on my own?
» Do I trust that God will do what’s best, or do I sometimes think that He’s planned things badly?

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.” (James 5:17)

Do you remember the story about Elijah and King Ahab in 1 Kings 17? Elijah told King Ahab that it would not rain. How did Elijah know that God would answer his prayer for it not to rain? Maybe because he knew Deuteronomy 11:13-17.

Deuteronomy 11:13-17 contains some of God’s promises and instructions for Israel before they enter the Promised Land. God says to them: if you listen to God’s commandments to love and serve him with all your heart and soul, He will give you rain “in his due season,” so you can gather in the crops you have planted. He will also send grass to your fields for your cattle, so you can eat and be full. He warns, however, that you need to pay attention so that you are not deceived into serving and worshipping other gods. If you serve and worship other gods, the Lord will be angry and He will “shut up the heaven, that there be no rain,” Then your crops will not grow, and you will die “quickly” in “the good land which the Lord giveth you.”

Read 1 Kings 16:30-33. Who was King Ahab serving? The Bible says that “he reared up an altar for Baal.” God was not going to answer his prayers, because he was worshipping a false god named Baal. Instead, He answered Elijah’s prayer, because Elijah worshipped and served God with his whole heart.

God wants to answer the prayers of those who worship and serve Him with their whole heart.

My Response:
» Do I expect God to answer my prayers when I’m worshipping things or people other than God?

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33)

Do you know someone you consider to be very wise? Wise people always seem to give good advice about a problem, and they always seem to make good choices. When you take questions to a wise person for advice, you are confident that the person will give you a very good answer.

But no matter how wise a person may be, God is far wiser. The apostle Paul tells us that God’s wisdom and knowledge are so deep, no man could ever even begin to understand them. Sometimes we show that we cannot understand God’s wisdom because we question why He made us a certain way or why He allows certain things to happen in our lives.

Even though we don’t understand God’s ways sometimes, we can still believe in His wisdom. God has all knowledge and all wisdom, and He’s always doing the very best thing in our lives.

Don’t doubt God when His plan for your life doesn’t seem to make sense to you. Trust Him, knowing that He is all-wise and all-knowledgeable.

God is all-wise, and He is bringing the best things for me into my life.

My Response:
» Do I doubt God when He brings something into my life that I don’t understand, or do I rest in Him, knowing He is all-wise?

“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” (Genesis 50:20)

Thrown into a pit.

Bound with rope and sold into slavery in a far-off land.

Sentenced to life in prison for something you didn’t do.

Forgotten for two years by the man who promised to help you.

You would probably have a hard time rejoicing if these things happened to you. In fact, you would probably wonder why God allowed all these horrible things to take place in your life.

All these things happened to Joseph – his brothers sold him into slavery, Potiphar threw him into prison for something he didn’t do, and for two years the cupbearer forgot to mention Joseph’s unfair treatment. But throughout all these events Joseph never said anything against God. He didn’t get mad! He didn’t get bitter! He didn’t even try to seek revenge on his brothers or the other people who harmed him! Joseph understood that God’s way of working everything for the good. God even used the evil acts of Joseph’s sinful brothers to bring about great good for the entire world.

Wow! Isn’t God incredible? He can take the sins of those around you and turn them into something good. We really do have a great God! We should thank God for the painful things that are happening to us and tell Him that we are looking forward to seeing how He is going to use them for His good!

God uses everything – even evil – for His glory.

My Response:
» What hard things are happening in my life?
» Can I trust God to use them to accomplish His good?

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

Annie has two best friends, and she does everything with them. She has sleepovers at their houses, roller-skates with them during recess, swims with their families in the summertime, and does just about every single thing that she can with them. Annie knows what classes her best friends like in school; she knows what their favorite games are to play; she even knows what kinds of food they like. Annie loves spending time with her friends, and the more she knows about them, the more she enjoys being with them.

God knows each one of us completely. 2 Timothy 2:19 says that God knows all His children. Not only does He know the things our family and our friends know, but He also knows things that no one else knows. When there are things that you don’t want anyone else to know, God already knows and is willing to listen to you talk about them. When you are excited or sad about something, God already knows and wants to hear about it. Just like you enjoy spending time with your best friends, you should enjoy spending time with God. God loves you more than anyone else ever could.

God knows everything about you!

My Response:
» Do you talk to God about things that matter to you? Do you rely on His help and comfort more than anyone else’s?
» Is there anything you don’t want God to know?

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy…mind.” (Mark 12:30)

Have you ever had someone ask, “What are you thinking about right now?” Sometimes when you’re asked, you may be thinking about something totally unimportant or something that would sound silly to share out loud. At those times, it may be embarrassing to answer the question.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit might speak to our hearts and ask, “What are you thinking about right now?” Not because He doesn’t know, but because He wants us to notice our own thoughts. And sometimes we are embarrassed to answer Him. Why? Because we’re thinking selfish thoughts, vain thoughts, worried thoughts, proud thoughts – thoughts that have nothing to do with Him.

God wants us to love Him with our minds. How do we do this? We love God with our minds by thinking about Him and His things. Have you ever really thought about the meaning of a Bible verse that you’re memorizing? Have you ever tried to think of all the ways that you could obey that verse? Have you ever thought about the character traits of God and what they mean to your life? Have you ever thought about the words to a Christian song or a hymn?

Ask God to show you when you are thinking about the wrong things. Ask Him to help you turn your thoughts to Him and love Him with all of your mind.

God wants His people to love Him with all their minds.

My Response:
» When God reads my mind, do my thoughts say to Him, “I love you”?

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Psalm 90:2)

One of Martin’s favorite school activities was Show and Tell Day. One time, he took his most valued treasure: a very old Indian stone. His dad had told him that Indians who lived in Florida long before the colonists settled in America had used the stone as a hammer. Every time Martin held the stone, he thought about how old the stone was.

What is the oldest thing that you have ever held or seen? Maybe you have an old baseball card, an ancient coin, or an antique piece of furniture. Can you think of anything or anyone even older than these things? The Bible verse that you read today tells you that before the mountains were formed and the earth was created, God existed.

In fact, the verse says that God is everlasting: He has always existed, and He will last forever. That is hard to imagine, isn’t it? God has always been and always will be. When you try to imagine how long eternity will be in the future, it almost hurts your brain. God will not only live eternally in the future, but He has lived eternally in the past. None of us can do that!

This eternal God knows all about you, and He has given you His Word (the Bible) in order for you to learn more about Him. Today, thank your God for being the Eternal God and continue to get to know Him by reading His Word!

God has always existed, and He will never die.

My Response:
» Have I thanked God that even though He is the great Creator of everything, He loves me?

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15)

Ellen rang the doorbell. She was shivering inside her raincoat, but she wasn’t sure whether she was cold or just excited. She was standing on the front porch of the music teacher’s house, ready for her first lesson. Today a dream she’d had for many years was just beginning to come true. She rang the doorbell again. No answer.

Ellen tried knocking. Nothing. She even went around to the side door and rang that doorbell a few times. But no one came to let her in. When she finally turned away from the house, the gray dampness of the day seemed to seep right into her heart. Ellen’s teacher had forgotten about her lesson.

Have you ever been forgotten? Sometimes adults forget the promises they make to kids. Maybe someone promised you a trip to the ice cream store. Maybe someone promised to take you fishing, teach you how to play basketball, or pick you up at a certain time – and he forgot. The Bible tells us that even our parents can sometimes forget about us!

But there is Someone who will never forget you. In Isaiah 49, God comforts His people by saying that He has graven them on the palms of His hands. He promises that He will never forget them. If you are His child, you will never be out of His loving care. All of the promises He makes to you in His Word are true. He will never forget one of them. And He will never forget you – ever.

God will never forget His children.

My Response:
» Have I forgotten about God, or have I thanked Him for His love?

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not the Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a free Spirit.” (Psalm 51:10-12)

Sometimes, when we go through trials, we’re not sure how to pray. It’s even harder when we’ve added our own sin to the trial, and we don’t feel as though God wants to hear us. But God does want to hear us. If we’re not sure what to say, we can get help from prayers like David’s in Psalm 51, or from prayers of other people, like the one below.

O Father,

I so desire to have a clean heart before You! I don’t want sinful desires, wickedness, bitterness, or anger to keep me from You. Forgive me for sinning against you with my spirit, my actions, and my words. Please help me to retain the joy, happiness, and peace that You have given to me throughout this trial. Because of the pain, it is hard, Lord, to smile. It is hard to keep myself from bitterness and anger.

O Father, I cannot do any of this in my own power. My flesh is weak and I easily become bitter. I can only have a clean heart in your strength and power. Give me the strength, wisdom, and power to turn this situation over to You completely. Allow my spirit, actions, and attitudes to reflect you.

For Your Glory and Honor Forever! In Jesus’ name,
Amen!

God will clean our hearts and give us grace in response to our prayers.

My Response:
» When I go through difficult situations, do I pray for grace and confess my sins?

“…that He [God] might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26b)

Let’s pretend that your brother has done something to hurt you very badly. What if when your parents found out what happened, they said, “Oh, we’ll just let that go – it’s all right. Just forget about it.”

No, you say! You have been hurt. You have been sinned against. Your parents would not be just unless they punished your brother for that sin. Right?

But let’s pretend you stepped in and said, “Punish me for what my brother did. I’ll take the punishment, and he won’t have to.” Then your parents would be just to forgive your brother, right? Someone else would be taking the punishment in his place.

This is very much like what God has done for us. We have hurt Him by our sin. Each one of us has gone against His perfect, holy law so many times, in so many ways, that we could never be punished enough to pay for it all. And yet He forgives us. How can He be just to forgive us?

The only way He can be just is to punish someone else in our place. And Jesus, His perfect, holy Son, took God’s punishment when He died on the cross. He was our substitute. He took the punishment that we deserved. If we turn to Jesus, trusting Him to free us from sin, God will forgive us for the sake of His Son.

God is just to forgive the sin of those who have believed on His perfect Son, Jesus Christ.

My Response:
» Have I accepted Jesus’ death on the cross as the payment for my sin?

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” (1 Corinthians 1:27)

If you were picking players for a basketball team, you would probably not pick Evan. Evan is short, slow, and not very smart. He misses most of the shots he takes, and he sometimes actually just drops the basketball. Evan is usually the last person to be picked for any kinds of sports team – if he even gets picked at all.

The Bible tells us that God has chosen “foolish things” and “weak things” to accomplish His work. Evan is not very smart, and he is not very strong, but God has chosen Evan to be His child. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, God has chosen you to shame those who are smart and strong in ways the world values.

God does great things through people who love Him. When He does those great things, He doesn’t want His people to say, “Look what I did because I am smart!” He wants them to say, “Look what God did.” God chooses people who are not necessarily smart or strong so that they will know that God is great, and they are not.

You may not be the smartest or strongest kid in the world, but that makes you the kind of material God can use. When unbelievers see the great things God does through us, they will be ashamed because they will see that even though we were foolish and weak, we were on the winning team the whole time.

God chose you not because you are great, but because He is.

My Response:
» Am I trying to tell God who is or isn’t worthy to serve Him?
» Am I fearful to obey a command from God because I think of myself as unworthy or unable to be of use to Him?
» Am I trying to do things for God in my own power, or am I letting God help me and use me in spite of my shortcomings?

“That we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2:12b-13)

When Peter had to prepare oral book reports for school, he always asked his dad for help. Peter thought every sentence his dad said sounded perfect for his report, and he knew that he would never have been smart enough to think of them on his own. It just seemed like his dad always knew just the right thing to say.

When it comes to speaking about God, the Holy Spirit gives us the perfect things to say. The Bible says we are supposed to be speaking about what God has “given to us.” But we are not supposed to speak with “man’s wisdom” – including our own wisdom and our parents’ wisdom. The Holy Spirit teaches us the wisdom that we need to use. He is our teacher.

The Bible is not saying that the Holy Spirit is going to write your book reports for you or that you should not ask your parents to help you prepare for a speech about God. The Bible is saying that every time you talk about God’s truth, the Holy Spirit is helping you. God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us understand “spiritual things” and then to help us tell others about those spiritual truths.

God will help us speak His truth.

My Response:
» Do I depend on my own brain or on the Holy Spirit when I talk to others about God’s truth?

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:12)

Gordon’s best friend sometimes keeps secrets that he doesn’t want him to know. Gordon can’t read his mind, so he will never know those secrets. Nobody can know his friend’s mind except the friend himself (and God). Nobody knows God’s mind except for God.

So how are we ever supposed to know what God wants?

God has not given us the spirit of the world. If He gave us the spirit of the world we would never know what we need to know. God has given us the Spirit of God so we can know the mind of God. We will never know everything God knows, but we can know the things that are “given to us” from God. We can know everything we need to know.

God has given us knowledge about how to live, how to behave, how to treat our neighbors, and how to love each other. We can know how to help friends in need and how to respect our parents. God has “freely” given us all that knowledge.

God gave us the Spirit so we can know Him.

My Response:
» Do I act like I have the Spirit of God or the spirit of the world?