Remember now—we are maturing in our understanding of how we actively participate as ordinary mystics in God as our refuge and stronghold; these passages are critical to God’s provision for us. “Trampling and crushing” are active and...
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Remember now—we are maturing in our understanding of how we actively participate as ordinary mystics in God as our refuge and stronghold; these passages are critical to God’s provision for us. “Trampling and crushing” are active and...
READ MORELet’s return to that gripping scene in the Judean wasteland. Imagine Jesus walking around his desert camp, fasting, praying, quoting Scripture, and no doubt declaring aloud Psalm 91, “El Shaddai is my refuge and fortress ...”
It’s...
READ MOREThe spiritual warfare of the hour we are living in is no different than what Patrick and his disciples faced. It might be worse because of the lateness of the hour, and it can be withering when you are under it. In those desolate moments, when my...
READ MORELet me suggest for you one practice that is sustainable and very fruitful: the daily declaration, or proclamation, of essential truths. Returning to Psalm 91, notice the importance of the second verse:
Those who live in the shelter of the...
READ MOREMore corrosive than all of these are the personal assaults of the enemy’s lies whispered to our hearts. They are far more brilliant than AI and utterly precise in their tailored messages to us. The evil one knows your story, your hurts and fears...
READ MORE“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1). Our bodies are a very practical expression of...
READ MOREThe mighty refuge psalm, Psalm 91, has a progression to it. First comes the promise:
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Then, a recitation of the many...
“Turn to God with all your heart,” wrote Thomas à Kempis, “and Christ will come to you.” First thing every morning, I pray something like this before I do anything else:
I run to you this morning, Father. I run to you this morning,...
READ MOREOne of my favorite Gospel stories takes place on Easter morning; it centers around Mary Magdalene. Heartbroken, devastated, Mary has gone to the tomb of Jesus to grieve, but his body is no longer there. Most of you have experienced grief; it is...
READ MOREDavid was a hunted man. He often had to hide in severe wilderness conditions from his pursuers, who would kill him in an instant if they found him, just like many persecuted people groups today.
Harriet Tubman had to hide from her enemies...
READ MOREWhen the author of Psalm 91 invites us to take refuge in the shelter of the Most High, where does he have in mind? What actual place in the actual universe are we invited to?
The word for “shelter” in the opening verse (“Those who live in...
READ MOREWe don’t know much about stages of development in our instant culture. We have someone else make our coffee for us. We no longer have to wait to have our photos developed — not even an hour — for now we have digital cameras that deliver back to...
READ MORETwice, the refuge of God is described in terms of rescue, or deliverance:
“I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble....
Of all the prayers that rise from human lips on this troubled planet, the vast majority must be some version of, “Help!” That’s why we began with the Cry of the Heart. But second place of “most often prayed” has to be in the genre of, “...
READ MORE Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
–Psalm 91:...
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to...
READ MOREFor every beautiful being God created, he has provided a habitat in which to flourish. Brook trout thrive happily in cold mountain streams. If you were to put them in the warm waters of the Caribbean, they would die. Stingrays, however, love that...
READ MORENo discussion of holiness is true or helpful without a healthy appreciation for how earnestly Satan wants to destroy us. Steal, kill, and destroy is how Jesus described it (John 10:10). Satan lured Adam and Eve to compromise one single act, one...
READ MOREWhen our boys were young, they would gather blankets, pillows, and cushions in the basement and build elaborate forts. This was their most-played game, a weekly if not daily affair. Once constructed and made secure, blankets tucked into sofas,...
READ MOREGod has a beauty to unveil. There's a reason that a man is captivated by a woman. Eve is the crown of creation. If you follow the Genesis narrative carefully, you'll see that each new stage of creation is better than the one before. First, all is...
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