Text: Psalms 91:1-11
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” 3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. 4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and [b]buckler. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. 8 Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.

These are times of uncertainty. This goes without saying.  As I sit here and write this, all the news is about the Coronavirus.  Its hard to not think about anything else. People are staying home and practicing “Social Distancing.” 

In times like this, what God desires more than anything is for us to draw closer to Him in times of difficulty and troubles, both personally and globally.

Imagine for a minute the amount of discipline it takes to practice something like “Social Distancing.”  How is that such a practice and immediate discipline can happen to the point that people around the world are willing to migrate indoors and wait out the danger of the looming viral enemy?

Fear! That’s how.  Even those who did not take this pandemic seriously are now observing the dangers a little more soberly.  The fear is a loss of life and or quality of life. Fear is real. When ever the most basic elements and needs for survival are threatened, logic is quickly replaced with fear.  Fight or flight sets in and behaviors are transformed into barbaric social norms. 

Suddenly it’s ok to bully weaker, older, and more disadvantaged people for a package of toilet paper and a bottle of hand sanitizer. It’s every person for themselves.  There are a few cashes of toilet paper in garages somewhere being guarded like Fort Knox.

It seems silly doesn’t it?  A need to hoard more resources than one could use in a year.  And all this is done out of fear. Enough joking about the toilet paper, but here is the thing, all the hoarding and fear is not going to change one thing.  It is not going to cure the current Pandemic. All the hoarded goods cannot bring any comfort 

And what if the same energy and fear was put into worshiping and seeking God?  What if everyone went in doors for two weeks to seek God? Just a side thought…

The Coronavirus is real. These times are uncertain and can seem scary.  I want to take this time and talk about a different kind of fear. A reverent fear. 

A fear that does not leave you paralyzed and feeling the need to run the streets gathering provisions.  Instead this fear is a polar opposite. The fear I want to talk about leaves you with a peace that surpasses all understanding. 

The source of fear that drives people to behave in such a way is anxiety.  The fear of God is not one that has anxiety but instead peace.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7

Finding Refuge in Christ

There is a difference in the Peace of God and that of the world.  Vs 1 tells us that He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Philippians 4:7 tells us that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Refuge in the Lord is not just a safe zone, it is a dwelling place.  A place to live and reside. Just like your home is your residence, a place you live and spend time, the refuge of the Lord is the same thing.

The refuge of the Lord is not just a safe place to get out of the weather or difficult times, it is a place that we as followers of Christ must continually seek to be present in.

When you reside in the presence of the Lord you do so in spirit and truth. 

23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24

The time is now that what you are called and where you worship will not matter.  What does matter is the way you live and worship God, plain and simple. 

God the Father is looking for people who are honestly themselves before Him in worship.  Those worshiping Him must do it out of being themselves. It requires being honest about sin and repentance so the restorative work of God can take place. 

Jesus died on the cross and paid the penalty for sin with His blood so that you could be forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness and be justified in His presence.

Jesus made a way for you to be able to come in the refuge of God’s presence, to come into the Holy of Holies, to come into the throne room of God and cry out to God in praise and thanks giving. 

When you come into the presence of God in perfection this means that you start by confessing your sin, asking for forgiveness, and receiving it in faith that Jesus died and shed His blood for the forgiveness of sin.

When you do this you can then begin to understand a little bit, the peace that surpasses all understanding.  You then can begin to experienced the refuge provided to you through the death and resurrection that placed Christ on the throne at that right hand of the Father.

Apart from holiness and righteousness there is no peace or refuge.  There is no true relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Every Problem Has a Solution

I saw a MEME (an idea or value that is passed along often now days through cartoons or pictures) that had a scientist feverishly working on a potion to cure the Coronavirus.  Behind the scientist was a Rabi, a priest, a pastor, intently looking onto the scientist as he worked to come up with the cure for the Coronavirus pandemic. 

The captions said something like, “Prayer hasn’t worked, I guess we’ll wait for science to figure this out.”

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”  V2

The problem is not what we think or perceive it to be.  It is often so close we don’t even recognize it as a problem.  And the problem is self. Whenever you try to solve the problem with your own strength, failure is just around the next turn.

When you rely on man or someone for the solution you are destined for certain disappointment.  Even when the solution or direction looks solid it has weaknesses and holes that are not often realized until it is too late.

The example of faith versus science in the previous “Meme” is an example of where one puts their faith. Certainly if one does not know Jesus as their savior and Lord it is impossible for them to have faith and be able to take refuge.

Without knowing Jesus it is impossible to believe in anything other than oneself of another finite individual.

In times like this there is no new solution.  The solution has been in front of us the whole time, and that is the person Jesus.  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It is through Him we come to the Father and are able to filled with the Holy Spirit.

It is only through Jesus we are able to take refuge.  He is the solution. He controls the winds and the seas, and they obey Him.  (Matthew 8:27). His the door way in which we can enter this refuge. He alone is our strength.

The truth is there is nothing that is outside of the authority of Christ.  The world is His footstool. see (Isaiah 66:1-5)

This is a time all Christian people need to be taking refuge in prayer and exercising unwavering faith, and spending time in God’s word.  The question is, where is your trust and faith. 

It’s natural human nature to be doing.  To be actively working on the solution, when in fact the most powerful thing we can do is be in prayer and know that God is not going to leave us or forsake us. 

He wants us to take refuge in Him.  Not only is the Lord the solution, He hold the answer in His hand, but He desires that we seek His face. 

The peace and refuge we are talking about here is not the peace and refuge the world will give through basic needs and provisions to get through this time of crisis.

The peace we are talking about here is the peace that only can be obtained from Jesus.  It is available to us always. Not just in time of pandemic or in times of dire need. 

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  John 14:27

In times of need and trouble the answer is Jesus Christ. 

Refuge And Protection

God does not only provide a place of refuge, which would be enough, He provides the strength and support you need in difficult times.  He provides protection that is unaffected by any threat you can face.

10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. V 10-11

This verse seems fitting for todays discussion particularly when it comes the one word “plague”.  The word “plague by definition means:

Noun:
a contagious bacterial disease characterized by fever and delirium, typically with the formation of buboes ( bubonic plague ) and sometimes infection of the lungs ( pneumonic plague ).

Verb:
cause continual trouble or distress to.

If you think about it, we are experiencing a plague.  While this pandemic is viral it has affected all of our society.  Our global society is troubled and in great distress.

As a child of God, the Lord has taken a special interest and care in you by giving His angels charge over you to keep and protect you in all your ways.

When one seeks first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) God takes a special interest in protecting the person in all their ways when it pertains to God’s kingdom.

There is evil all around us.  The fear that runs the streets is just a small part of it.  The fear that fills most peoples lives right now is a tool of the enemy to defeat the world and more notably the children of God.

When you focus on Jesus and His provision of grace and righteousness, and you stand on the promises of God’s word and promises, you will have and experience the best protection there is in the most uncertain times of your life.

May God bless and keep you and your loved ones.  May the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep and protect you. And above all, Seek the refuge of the Lord for it is the only strong hold no force of evil can penetrate.