Tag: refuge

Stop Fighting… and Know I am God

February 24th, 2026
The traditional rendering of Psalm 46:10 is Be still and know that I am God. As a verse that is often quoted alone in that rendering, I think we miss the message.

If you think, “be still” you might think just, “be quiet” or “do nothing”, and while those are accurate statements / sentiments, the context is very important.

Sometimes the difficulty in our spiritual life is not knowing when/how to act and when to allow God to be God. We pray, we trust, but we keep trying to do and be more than we are…

So, as I read today the CSB, the rendering is “Stop Fighting“. I compared that to the “Young’s Literal” which says, “Desist” . That’s a old word that is from latin that means “down from” and “to stop”. “Stop Fighting” – the Hebrew is harpu = to grow slack, release, let go. And it’s in the imperative tense (a command)

Wow – Hello Parents… yelling to children fighting, “Stop it”, “Be Still”. Or to the worried frustrated child trying to fix something they cannot, “Stop it”, “Be Still”, “Let me”.

In my head now I’m hearing Fred Hammond singing, “God is my refuge”.

Interesting, this is not a Psalm of David, but a Psalm of the Sons of Korah – who played harp… One day in Glory, we can ask them to play it for us.

Go back then and read this Psalm:
- God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore, we will not be afraid though the earth trembles, mountain topples into the depths of the sea. Though its water roars and foams, and the mountains quake with turmoil – Selah
Let me stop there – that term Selah – is known simply as an interjection – what does it mean? We don’t really know. Most believe it might even be a musical term… but it’s use is always to pause – to stop – and I believe “think about that”… or “think about God”
- there is a River – its streams delight the city of God…
Oh there is no river in Jerusalem, but the Lord is a river
- 5 God is within her; she will not be toppled, God will help her when the morning dawns
Wait – so sometimes I need to press in and wait during the “dark night of the soul”? Yes – God will help, but the only certainty is “when the morning dawns” – he may not always take it away, but he can take me through.
- 6 nations rage… but evil will melt when he speaks… (Trust HIS timing)
- 7 the Lord of Armies is with us – the God of Jacob IS our stronghold – Selah
stop and think abou that
- 8 Come, see the works of the Lord (then he lists them)
- 9 brings devastation… makes wars ceases… shatters bows… spears… sets wagons ablaze
Then – So – Because… we get to this verse we started with…
- 10 Stop Fighting, and KNOW
  - I am God
  - Exalted among the nations
  - Exalted on the earth
  - The God of Armies is With Us
  - The God of Jacob is our Strong Hold… Selah
Stop and Think about God

When God LEADS us into battle – Go… but when WE want to DO the fighting… we need to know that God is our Refuge / shelter / battle stronghold and he is our Strength, our helper… always FOUND, if we will look to, run to, in times of trouble.

Don’t fight out of fear, but only as led by Jehovah Tsaba – The Lord of Armies

I think the point here is that we often are fighting battles we aren’t capable of fighting. Many of the things listed here are outside our control, earthquakes, floods, waves, armies… I don’t have the capacity to fight those things.

I imagined a tornado coming toward my house, I can run around the yard trying to maintain my stuff, or I can get in the Storm Shelter.

Stop… and know

Stop… and think

Stop… and trust

SELAH
Coming In The Clouds

August 1st, 2023

Clouds. There can be clouds of dust, clouds of smoke, clouds of rain, clouds of doubt. But Clouds mean activity, possibility, productivity, all these things can be in clouds. And there are many references to clouds in scripture in 154 verses.

Revelation 1:7 says Look, He’s coming in the clouds, and every eye will see him. all the earth will mourn over him. This references Zechariah 12:10 – which speaks of Israel in the last days and says that God will pour out a Spirit of Grace and Prayer and they will look at me, whom they pierced. They Will Mourn.

Clouds can be good or bad. It all depends on our situation and our expectation, our position. How we are and where we are will determine how we respond to the clouds. Is it the dust cloud of workers or soldiers / Chariots? Are they coming to build or destroy. Are they coming to save or conquer? In Revelation 1:5-8 Jesus is He who loves and sets us free, makes us a Kingdom – Look HE is coming in the clouds. If he is the lover of my soul, and the one who sets me free, establishing a new Kingdom – when I see him, it’s tears of Joy. He is the Alpha and Omega, she he started and he will finish, praise God I see the Clouds. If we have received him, then we celebrate the clouds. For those who have not received, have rejected, the clouds mean the end of opportunity and they will mourn. There in Zechariah 12 – Israel as a people are looking at Jesus and looking back to their history and mourning that they pierced him, but as a people group and then acknowledging him as Lord because of the new Spirit of Grace and Prayer. Recognizing what is available, in a prayer of confession and repentance, they are experiencing salvation.

In Nahum, there are clouds. In 1:2-3 it says the Lord is jealous and an avenging God… slow to anger but great in power… he will never leave the guilty unpunished… This is restating the “glory of God” as Moses experienced in Exodus 34 – he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in mercy, and yet the wicked are not unpunished. It’s John 1:14 full of grace and truth. Then Nahum continues, his path is in the whirlwind and storm and CLOUDS are the dust beneath his feet. These words were written to Nineveh, 100 years AFTER Jonah. In Jonah’s day, the people repented and were forgiven. The Lord only knows who and how many, but there were people who genuinely repented and received God’s grace and so will be with us in Glory. But now 2-3 generations later, as a people group, Nineveh is DONE. Or we should say God is done with Nineveh. vv7-9 say The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress, he CARES for those who take refuge in him, BUT he will completely destroy Nineveh… whatever you plot against the Lord he will bring it to complete destruction

People we need to hear this. People like to call America a “Christian Nation”, and perhaps that has been true at times. And yes, we have been blessed and a blessing to the world, both materially and missionally / Spiritually, but IF WE PLOT against, if we fail to join God – Destruction will come when he is finished with us. God used many great nations and insignificant nations. He used those who believed in him and those who did not to complete his purposes.

Behold he is coming in the clouds. Will the clouds be God at work to build or demolish? God is always at work – That’s what Jesus says in John 5:17. Is he for us or bringing us down? Behold the Lord is coming in the clouds. Every eyes will see – Pray for a Spirit of Grace and Prayer – of Repentance and Seeking Refuge – Hope Found. Oswald Chambers says, “it is NOT true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials, every cloud – But He wants to UNLEARN something … to simplify our belief

In Luke 9 on the Mountain of Transfiguration – Peter, James, and John were with Jesus. He was glorified in his Heavenly glory before them and joined by Moses and Elijah – They were there to show that the Law and the Prophets testified to and validated Jesus the Messiah – but Then, “there came a cloud and overshadowed them and they feared as they entered the cloud… If Jesus is there, it’s ok to be a little scared of the cloud, but join him in the cloud of his glory – and then they found that Moses and Elijah were gone – and Jesus was left standing Alone – and the Father said this is my son, listen to him. The Law and the Prophets serve as tutors and affirmation of Jesus, but Jesus stands alone, he alone is our refuge, Behold he Comes in the Cloud – Every Eye must See Him – Every Heart Should Turn – Mourn in Confession – Celebrate in Salvation – and Find Rest in Him – Today
Comfort in an Abundance of Thoughts

February 22nd, 2023

I wrote a song about 35 years ago that my mind was drawn to today. The song was titled “Come, let’s sing for Joy”. But my song was just a rendering of songs the Psalmist wrote 3000 years ago. they are in Psalm 94&95. those Psalms numbered in the 90s are great worship feeders. I love the honesty of David’s songwriting and I can’t wait to hear him sing them some day. He is honest and when we read this, and put some of them to our own tunes, we realize that Life is hard, but God is GOOD. God is Present, he is Persistent, He is Patient, He is Prescient, that is he knows before it happens, and He is Prepared.

Psalm 94 begins “O Lord, the god who avenges (NIV). The God of Vengeance (CSB) – Paul wrote in Romans 12:19 “Vengeance belongs to me” and he is referring to Deuteronomy 32:35 Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay… in time their foot will slip, for their day of disaster is near. Then Moses says, The Lord will indeed vindicate his people. Oh the thoughts flood our mind when things don’t seem right, when people act wrongly, unjustly, those thoughts, “why, when, how, come on people, come on Lord”. And WE want to DO something. But Vengeance is NOT for us. Why? Because Only God is LOVE ENOUGH, only GOD is JUST enough, only God is WISE enough to do vengeance correctly. And So, v2 of Psalm 94 asks God to, RISE UP . The singer says, “Judge the earth, pay back the proud what they deserve” and then comes “How Long?” And if we read through Psalm 94 says “They say the Lord doesn’t see, pays no attention”. Oh my the thoughts that run through our head.

But THEN the songwriter tells us – “pay attention you stupid people!” (CSB). Well alright then, He reminds us that God made ears, and he can hear, and he made eyes and he can see; and he teaches, so he KNOWS, and that he disciplines. All these thoughts are running through our head about right and wrong, and v14 says the lord will not leave his people. But the questions still run through our head. V16 who stands up for me, against the wicked, against the evil doers? But v17 comes back to reality, regardless of how it’s going, if the Lord had not… another translation says unless the Lord… Come on somebody. If it had not been for the Lord… what might have been. The singer says “I’d have died.”

For me 35 years ago, I formed my second verse from vv18-19 of Psalm 94. When I cried my feet are slipping, your love, Oh Lord, supported me… When fear was great deep within me, you brought joy to my soul…

Verse 19, CSB renders it when I am filled with cares. NIV says when anxiety was great within me ESV the cares of my heart are many, KJV in the multitude of my thoughts. You can put it many ways but we can all relate. The Young’s Literal Translation rendered it, in the abundance of my thoughts within me

What do we do when our hearts are full, racing, complex, seeming without any answer… What do we Do? COME to the Lord.

When our thoughts are running all over the place, don’t go the WRONG PLACE. Don’t seek wrong help. Don’t join forces with the forces that are driving the madness you see. the singer takes a turn and asks a hard question, can a corrupt throne be your ally? Listen… God is not allied with evil. And God will not lose to evil. God is still on the throne. Yes there is EVIL in the World and they are working against the people of God, the creation of God, the Love of God… but v22 the Lord is my refuge, my God is the rock of my salvation… v23 he will pay them back… and the song ends… The Lord our God will destroy them.

Oh people, I’ve read the back of the book, God wins! And if you continue Psalm 95 says, Come, let’s shout joyfully to the Lord, shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation Let’s enter his presence with thanksgiving, let’s shout triumphantly to him in song. For the Lord is the great King above all gods.

Take some time and keep reading Psalm 95, and praise the Lord.

When your mind races, run to the Lord. Turn your thoughts to him, put your trust in him. Don’t wallow in your thoughts, Come to the Right throne, the right king. The Lord God Almighty is his Name.

Hmm I can’t finish without saying Philippians 4:8 tells us whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy, Dwell on these things. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says take captive every thought and make it obey Christ.

Oh I can’t always control my thoughts, but I CAN control what I DO with my thoughts. Shift your focus, sing for joy, take refuge in the Lord

Just for fun… Here’s a 1988 recording of that song… that’s a young Jim Goforth, in a demo recording – Enjoy

09-jim-goforth-demo-1988-come-sing-for-joy Download

Tag: refuge

Stop Fighting… and Know I am God

Coming In The Clouds

Comfort in an Abundance of Thoughts