Finding Your Refuge - Day 119 Month 4-29 Week 17-7

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)


Numbers 35:6-36:13, Psalm 96, Luke 23:1-25

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2035%3A6-36%3A13%2C%20Psalm%2096%2C%20Luke%2023%3A1-25&version=NASB1995


Finding Your Refuge


What is your city of refuge?  As we read in Numbers today, the cities of refuge were places “that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee.”  I’ve never killed a person intentionally or unintentionally but I still need a place of refuge.


What do we need refuge from?  I need refuge from myself at times.  My need to control and my need to be right but more than that, my selfish goal to control my own life and destiny.  The famous song sung by Frank Sinatra, “I Did it My Way” sounds like great lyrics to sing but when you really read the lyrics at the end of the song it’s actually a sad statement.


“For what is a man what has he got

If not himself then he has not

To say the things he truly feels

And not the words of one who kneels

The record shows I took the blows

And did it my way”


I pray at the end of my life that I will be able to say “I did it God’s way.”  From the lyrics “For what is man what has he got, if not himself he has not” I say it’s a lot of pressure on a person to make himself something.  Many people, living in poverty in this world, or handicapped or deprived in any way, have not been successful in the same way as Frank Sinatra.  One could argue that even the person in poverty still has the ability to make their own decisions in life.  I myself have not sacrificed good living by not doing it my way.  Frank Sinatra saw the end of his life as the end and was only able to look back.  When my life ends on earth, it will feel like the beginning.  In fact my life is already an exciting journey and that is the wording of “one who kneels.”  You can look at the post I made yesterday, and the “intermission” post from a few days ago, and see that my life has been an exciting journey this far.  It’s been exciting not because I did it my way but because I let go of control and did it God’s way!


Wherever your journey has taken you so far, God can use it for His good purposes.  If you have had a rough journey, God can make it good.  If you have had an easy journey, God can make it a better journey.  As a part of God’s kingdom, your destiny can start now with God who always was, is and always will be.  My city of refuge is God’s kingdom!  As Jesus said in John 8:58 “Before Abraham was born, I AM (NASB1995).”  Jesus was there in the beginning and Jesus is going to be there in eternity.


Today let’s take refuge in “I AM” from our Psalm reading:


Sing to the LORD a new song;

Sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Sing to the LORD, bless His name;

Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.


Have a great day!

Steve

steve.d.pauls@gmail.com


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