Refuge Biblical Quotes

But still she fled, leaving me battered and bleeding among the remnants of my brother's life, each of her parting footfalls another blow to the dream I'd not deserved, but had foolishly dared to hope for.

She gently placed her palm on my wounded shoulder and the warmth of her hand did nearly as much to soothe the ache as did the ointment. If only she would continue touching me, allow us to forge something new together from the broken pieces of our past. Her willing presence in my life would be far more healing than any balm

Now some of you will say that the two are one and the same - happiness and joy - but this is not so. Happiness is a feeling. Happiness is fleeting, dependent on the moment, the circumstances, even the weather. Joy is transcendent, enduring, and, in the biblical context, is not an emotion. Joy is an attitude of the heart. Joy brings us peace, a refuge in the midst of troubles. God gives us joy through His Spirit. But the enemy tries to steal your joy and give you temporary happiness instead. Now, is there anything wrong with being happy? Nee, but it cannot last. So, you may wonder why I bring up the difference between these two - it is simple really. [...] marriage is sacred before the Lord, a decision for a lifetime, but too often I think young people look upon it as a source of happiness. Do not look at marriage this way. See it as a reservoir of joy, a deep, welling spring that endures the icy blast of temper, the bite of an angry word, the void of loneliness in a heart hungry for talk when there is no response. [...] Seek joy in each other, not happiness.

She tipped her head back and laughed with gusto, the sound so full and lovely that my own amusement crashed to a halt and I could do nothing but stare. The notes of her laughter twirled through the air like butterflies alight on the breeze.

Smile. You look as though you are headed to your execution, not your betrothal." Are they not one and the same?

The dance of ink over finely woven plant fibers became an act of worship, a connection to the Creator of language himself, especially when the words of a new song spilled from my heart onto a sheet of papyrus.

The dichotomy of the gun-toting, substance-abusing queer seeking spiritual refuge might strike some as anticlimactic. But William Burroughs was not what he appeared to be to many of his fans. The work which so many revere as biblical texts in the church of addiction were always seen by the writer himself as cautionary rather than visionary.

There was just me and the One who created me, and it was enough.

Biblical promises, heard first in health, but then unheeded, come whispering to the couch of sickness; it is felt that a pitying God watches what all mankind have forsaken. The tender compassion of Jesus is recalled and relied on; the faded eye, gazing beyond time, sees a home, a friend, a refuge in eternity.

Prayer Declaration I will trust in the covering of Your wings, and in the shadow of Your wings I will trust. Be my defense and refuge in times of trouble. I will sing of Your strength. In the morning I will sing of Your love, for You are my fortress. You are my strength. I sing praise to You, for on You I can rely.

I do not know the mind of the Eternal One, Moriyah. But neither do you. He has preserved your life this far, in the most unlikely of situations. Perhaps he has a unique purpose for you, in spite of what you endured. Or perhaps because of it. ... But I do know this, if he commands you to speak the truth, you must do so. No matter the cost.

The biblical narrative begins and ends at home. From the Garden of Eden to the New Jerusalem we are hardwired for place and for permanence, for rest and refuge, for presence and protection. We long for home because welcome was our first gift of grace and it will be our last. The settings of our first home and our last home will testify to the nature of the embodied story God is writing in human history. Because God's story begins in a garden and ends in a city, place isn't incidental to Christian hope, just as our bodies aren't incidental to salvation. God will resurrect our bodies, and he will -- finally -- bring us home.

The idea of identifying and valuing two entities as equals is a biblical concept. For two people in covenant, to harm one was to harm the other (1 Samuel 18:1–4). And to disregard a person’s word was to disparage the person himself (Luke 6:46).Therefore, how we value the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ, is a good indicator of how we value the written Word of God, the Bible. What conclusions would someone draw about your love for the Savior after observing your relationship to the Scriptures for a few weeks? Since both the Bible and Jesus Christ are the Word of God, it’s impossible to value one and not the other. A proven way to grow closer to God is to grow closer to God’s Word.

So where does one move?  This clearly is a matter for much prayer and seeking God’s face. In doing so, two factors should be taken into account: a.) does the potential location for immigration allow abortion; and b.) what is the level of Muslim population? The remaining nations of the world that today prohibit or severely restrict abortion and that have low levels of Muslim population are mostly in Central and South American, nations that, therefore, may offer an appropriate refuge.

The biblical narrative begins and ends at home. From the Garden of Eden to the New Jerusalem we are hardwired for place and for permanence, for rest and refuge, for presence and protection. We long for home because welcome was our first gift of grace and it will be our last. The settings of our first home and our last home testify to the nature of the embodied story God is writing in human history. Because God’s story begins in a garden and ends in a city, place isn’t incidental to Christian hope, just as bodies aren’t incidental to salvation. God will resurrect our bodies, and he will—finally—bring us home. As Craig Bartholomew, author of Where Mortals Dwell, concludes, “One of the glories of being human and creaturely is to be implaced.”10 The “fortune” of home, as Homer puts it, is the witness of Genesis and of Revelation. God will never leave any of his children to homelessness.

The area housed many successful medium-sized businesses, such as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, founded in 1570 (and Britain’s oldest continual manufacturer). By the eighteenth century, the foundry was exporting bells to the Americas, including the Liberty Bell, in 1752. The Liberty Bell left England bearing a biblical inscription which would have been familiar to both the French Protestants who had sought refuge only a stone’s throw away, and also the Jews who worshipped close by. It came from the book of Leviticus 25: 10: ‘Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.

The Roman Catholic view of prayer also must be opposed. Prayers to saints and to Mary amount to (1) a rejection of the accessibility of God in Christ (the only Mediator12) and (2) an ascription of attributes to glorified human beings that belong to God alone (omniscience, omnipresence, and sometimes omnipotence). Mary is called the “refuge of sinners,” the one who is to be asked to “guide” and “teach” us, who is “never implored in vain,” to whom “fervent prayers are to be addressed,” and the one whose “name alone comforts” (The Catholic Church the Teacher of Mankind). She solves the problems of rain and drought, famine and plague according to this book designed to instruct “the Catholic child at the mother’s knee” (Title page. The book was published in New York by the Office of Catholic Publications and bears the imprimatur of Archbishop Johannes W. Farley). On page 643 we read: Unfortunately, you are still mastered by many faults which prevent your becoming the pious and dutiful child God wishes you to be. To be able to cure yourselves of them you must implore the Blessed Virgin. Words almost fail in replying to such unrestrained idolatry. This concept of prayer puts Mary in God’s place. In fact it seems that according to this doctrine of prayer, God has delegated the answering of prayer to Mary. The response to make must be this: (1) Nowhere in all of the Scriptures can any such ideas be found. One will search in vain to find anyone at any time praying to Mary; nor is there any injunction to do so. Indeed, the Scriptures tell us to pray exclusively to God in Christ’s name (see vss. supra). And there is no model of prayer to Mary, any other human being, or to angels. The biblical picture differs considerably from the Roman Catholic one represented in these words: “…in his shortcomings, at each instant of his life, and in the hour of his death, the Christian turns to Mary. Her name alone comforts him, and gives him confidence” (ibid., p. 642). (2) When we pray to someone, we thereby ascribe to that one all of God’s attributes. For example, we must assume that the one to whom prayer is directed is omnipresent even to be able to hear the millions of prayers that are directed to him from all parts of the earth. But omnipresence is an attribute of God alone. Omnipotence likewise is required of the one to whom we pray; he must be able to answer all requests. Omniscience cannot be divorced from prayer either, since the answer must be given with reference to all other matters of all time (past, present and future). Does Mary have such attributes? Some think so (“Mary is all powerful, for she is the mother of God,” ibid., p. 642), others have not carefully thought through the issues involved.

Further south again, and to the east of the Dead Sea, lies Moab, through which flows the River Arnon. The biblical narrative records that Moab was known as a sheep-breeding centre (2 Kgs. 3: 4), and the Book of Ruth opens with a reference to people of Judah seeking refuge there in time of famine (Ruth 1: 1). Separated from Moab by the valley of the Zered and south of the Dead Sea is the rugged region of Edom.

The first piece, the prophecy of Psalm 83, references the “tents of Edom,” which if it were fulfilled in modern times would be better translated as the “tents of Palestinians.” Tents biblically represent a population assembled in refuge, and/or military encampments. Tent communities housing Palestinians become instrumental to a confederate attempt with the nations of Egypt (Hagarenes) Saudi Arabia (Ishmaelites), Jordan (Moab and Ammon, the children of Lot), Syria (Assyria), Lebanon (Tyre), and Gaza (Philistia)84

I praise my Lord who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield in whom I take refuge.

APRIL 26 CAST OUT THE SPIRITS OF OPPRESSION MY SON, JESUS, went about doing good and healing all those oppressed of the devil. Through His name I have given you the power to rebuke and cast out any spirit that would oppress you. Through that power you shall strip all power from any oppressing spirits. I will be your refuge from the oppressor and will deliver you from the wicked who surround you. I have established you in righteousness, and I will keep you far from oppression. I will not allow the enemy to take your inheritance from you through oppression. My child, you are My temple, My dwelling place, and I will encamp at my temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun My people, for now I am keeping watch. ACTS 10:38; ISAIAH 54:14; ZECHARIAH 9:8 Prayer Declaration Lord, You are my refuge from the oppressor. Deliver me from the wicked that would oppress me and from my deadly enemies that would surround me. I rebuke and cast out all spirits of oppression, sorrow, and anything attempting to bring me low in the name of Jesus. I am established in righteousness, and I am far from oppression.

APRIL 27 I WILL BE YOUR REFUGE FROM THE OPPRESSOR MY CHILD, NEVER forget that I am a refuge for you from those who would attempt to oppress you—either from without or from an evil spirit within. I will be your refuge in times of trouble. I will never forsake you when you seek Me and will administer judgment for you because of your uprightness. I am the Lord your God, and I will be with you. I am mighty to save. I take great delight in you, and I will quiet you with My love. I will rejoice over you with singing. I will remove sorrow from you and will deal with all who oppressed you. I will give you honor and praise among all the people of the earth and will restore your fortunes before your very eyes. PSALM 9:8–10; ZEPHANIAH 3:17–20 Prayer Declaration Father, You have promised to defend the cause of the weak and fatherless and to maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. You will rescue the weak and needy and will deliver me from the hand of the wicked that seek to oppress me. You uphold the cause of the oppressed, and You have set me free from oppression.

Whereas “ruthless nations” used their strength to bring oppression and foster injustice (vv. 3, 4, 5), God is a “stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat” (v. 4). While they may be forgotten and mistreated by society, God remains a refuge for them. Biblically, a paradox arises: it is precisely God’s impartiality that makes him partial to the poor (Deut. 10:17–18; cf. James 3:17). We think of fairness as treating everyone the same, yet God sees perfectly the many ways in which things are not the same for all people. The world gives inherent priority to the powerful, wealthy, and beautiful. Impartiality for God does not mean treating everyone the exact same way at all times, since he alone perfectly takes into consideration all things (Rom. 11:33–35). It is in fairness that God favors the forgotten and receives the rejected (Psalm 113; cf. Ps. 107:41; 136:23). God’s royal majesty is seen in his tender mercy (Ps. 138:6; cf. Luke 1:52–53). How easy it is for us to forget that God gives priority to the weak, the vulnerable, and the needy (James 2:5). Accordingly, one of the marks of a healthy church, and a healthy Christian, is an impulse to extend God’s compassionate care to those most in need—supremely those in spiritual need, but also those in physical need. The church thus becomes a “stronghold” for those must vulnerable, bringing the peace of Christ to trial-ridden lives.

MARCH 7 NO ENEMY WILL BE ABLE TO STEAL YOUR JOY BECAUSE YOU LOVE My name and rejoice in Me, you will take refuge in Me and will be glad. I will cause you to sing for joy as I spread My protection over you. I will bless My righteous servant and will surround you with My favor. I will make known to you the path of life and will fill you with joy in My presence and with eternal pleasures at My right hand. I will be your strength and your shield. I will be your shepherd and carry you forever. I will turn your wailing into dancing and will remove your sackcloth and clothe you with My joy. PSALMS 5:11–12; 16:11; 126:5–6 Prayer Declaration In the name of Jesus I bind and cast out any spirit that would try to steal my joy. I will shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth. You have restored to me the joy of my salvation and have filled me with Your spirit. Therefore I will joyfully teach transgressors Your ways and will declare Your praise.

FEBRUARY 20 I WILL BE YOUR DEFENSE AND REFUGE I HAVE GIVEN you refuge in the shadow of My wings, and I will keep you in safety until the disaster has passed. My glory will be a canopy of protection for you. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain. I am your shelter from the wind and your refuge in the storm. I will be like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land. I have put My words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of My hand. Gladness and joy will overtake you, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. I am He who comforts you. PSALM 91; ISAIAH 4:6; 32:1–2; 51:11–16 Prayer Declaration I will trust in the covering of Your wings, and in the shadow of Your wings I will trust. Be my defense and refuge in times of trouble. I will sing of Your strength. In the morning I will sing of Your love, for You are my fortress. You are my strength. I sing praise to You, for on You I can rely.

JANUARY 31 YOU ARE A JOINT HEIR WITH MY SON, JESUS CHRIST I AM THE One who breaks open the way, and I will go up before you; you will break through the gates that try to hold you, and you will go out. You will be a fruitful vine, planted near a spring, and your branches will climb over any wall that attempts to hold you in. My eyes will be open to your supplication, and I will listen whenever you call to Me. Rejoice, for I will not cast off My people, nor will I forsake My inheritance. If you fear that your foot will slip, My mercy will hold you up. When you are filled with anxieties within, My comfort will delight your soul. I will be your defense and the rock of your refuge. I have sealed you with My Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of your inheritance. PSALMS 2:7–8; 94:18–19; EPHESIANS 1:13–14 Prayer Declaration I am a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Give me the heathen for my inheritance and the uttermost part of the earth for my possession. Let my line go through all the earth, and my words to the end of the world. Let me grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. I will flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

If Yahweh had said 'yes', I would go with you without a second glance behind me. I would like nothing more than to be called your wife, Darek, but a marriage built on disobedience to Yahweh would only cause us more pain.

They may have pressed our faces into the dirt for a while, but we have a weapon that they do not. One with infinitely more power than they could ever hope to wield. We have Yahweh. And just as Yehoshua told us before our fathers began that first loop around Jericho, he is with us. He will go behind us and before us. Without him it would be mere human effort, yes, and likely destined to fail, but with him as our shield and banner, no enemy will be able to stand against us. And I, for one, will not lay down and accept the loss of even one more Hebrew life.

Every step away from Kedesh felt like fighting against a rushing river. I could practically feel my home calling, beckoning me to return.

We are also taught from Scripture that while some events in our lives may indeed be tragic, God is in absolute control (Romans 8:28). While this fact may be hard to reconcile in our own minds, God is the one who knows the end from the beginning. Therefore, only He knows how a circumstance can serve to: • Humble a person (Job 42:1-6) • Draw a person to Himself (John 6:44) • Show Himself to be a greater-than-anything God (Jeremiah 32:17; Genesis 50:20) • Reveal Himself to a believing sufferer as Refuge, Strength and Helper (Psalm 46:1; Isaiah 57:15; John 9:1-3).

Truth mediates a Person, a working Redeemer. To be human is to love a Savior, Father, Master, and Lord. Instead of "psychopathology" and "syndromes," we see "sins" against this Person, and we see sufferings that are "trials" revealing our need for a true Deliverer and refuge. Instead of proposing that some psychodynamic insight, met need, altered self-talk, or behavioral rehabituation will cure us, we receive God's actually mercies as our salvation. Instead of defining change as an intra-psycic, psychosocial, or biological process of "healing" or "growth," we define change as turning to a Person whom we trust, fear, obey, and seek to please. Instead of letting the goal of "health" cue our system to a medical metaphor, we set the goal of being transformed into the likeness of this Person with whom we live in relationship. (4)

Although she is brave without question...I think it was her surrender to Yahweh that displayed the true depths of her courage.

You are priests. Sanctified for the purpose of pointing the people to the Truth, of gathering us together without fear so we can be an example to the nations of who the Eternal One truly is.

The secret twitched on my lips even as they heartily agreed to my offer and I slipped away to retrieve the cakes, but I could already taste victory on my tongue.