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September 6, 2022 8:00 pm
My wife and I once stayed in a lovely old seaside hotel with large sash windows and thick stone walls. One afternoon, a storm ripped through the region, churning up the sea and pounding our windows like angry fists on a door. Yet we were at peace. Those walls were so strong, and the hotel’s foundations so solid! While storms raged outside, our room was a refuge.
Refuge is an important theme in Scripture, starting with God Himself. “You have been a refuge for the poor,” Isaiah says of God, “a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm” (Isaiah 25:4). In addition, refuge is something God’s people were and are to provide, whether through Israel’s ancient cities of refuge (Numbers 35:6) or by offering hospitality to “foreigners” in need (Deuteronomy 10:19). These same principles can guide us today when humanitarian crises hit our world. In such times, we pray that the God of refuge would use us, His people, to help the vulnerable find safety.
The storm that hit our hotel was gone the following morning, leaving us with a calm sea and a warm sun that made the seagulls glow. It’s an image I hold on to as I think of those facing natural disasters or fleeing “ruthless” regimes (Isaiah 25:4): that the God of refuge would empower us to help them find safety now and a brighter tomorrow.
Welcome to Our Daily Bread, uncertain voice. He loved gold. Today's devotional binding my wife and I once stayed in a lovely old seaside hotel with Lodge/Windows and thick stone's one afternoon storm ripped through the region churning up the sea, impounding a Windows like angry fists on the door yet we were at peace those walls was so strong in the hotels foundation so so what. While storms raged outside our room was a refuge.
Refuge is an important theme in Scripture. Starting with God himself. You have been a refuge for the poor.
Isaiah says of God, a refuge for the needy in their distress. Shelter from the storm.
In addition, refuge is something God's people were, and ought to provide with the through Israel's ancient cities of refuge by offering hospitality to foreigners in need. These same principles can guide us today when humanitarian crises hit our world in such times, we pray that the goal of refuge would use us his people to help vulnerable find safety storm that hit our hotel was gone.
The following morning, leaving us with a calm sea. The warm sun that made the seagulls glow. It's an image I hold onto as I think of those facing natural disasters or fleeing ruthless regimes that the goal of refuge would empower us to help them find safety now and a brighter tomorrow.
Today's Scripture reading is from Isaiah chapter 25.
This is 128.
Lord, you are my God, I will exalt you and praise your name for imperfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things. Things planned long ago.
You have made the city a heap of rubble. The fortified town to ruin the phone's stronghold of city no more. It will never be rebuilt. Therefore strong peoples will honor you. Cities of ruthless nations will review you. You have been a refuge for the poor refuge for the needy in their distress.
Shelter from the storm to shade from the heat for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert you silence the uproar of foreigners as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the sum of the ruthless instilled on this mountain, the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine the best of meets in the finest of wines on this mountain, he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples. The sheet covers all nations. He will swallow up death that ever the sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces, he will remove his people's disgraceful only if the Lord has spoken.
Let's pray together but it seems like every week rehearing of another natural disaster or another brutal regime that is leaving so many people homeless and afraid we long for that day.
When you throw a banquet for all peoples and wipe away every tear God of refuge. Until that day comes when you empower us, your children, to help the needy find refuge at a bright new future. In Jesus name we pray.
Amen. Thanks for listening. I'm sure in Boise. In today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread ministries
