God is our refuge, protector, rescuer

In the quietness of your soul, I AM there.

Sometimes in our walk with God, it is imperative or needful to come aside, to shut everything off and commune with God in the quietness of our soul.

When we are going through a turbulent time in our lives, we have to shift our focus or reset even in the middle of our trials and tests.

We need to come aside and enter back into that safe place of refuge.

Psalms 36:7 - How precious is thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men take refuge in the shadow of thy wings.

Proverbs 14:26 - In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

We all know the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. Daniel was faced with the decision of denying his need of communication with God. The Bible tells us that even though he was forbidden to pray he kept on kneeling in prayer before God. This eventually resulted in Daniel being taken and put into a den of lions.

There was no exit, no form of escape, no means of protection.

How many lions were down there? Can you picture in your mind the darkness? Hearing the roar of the lions?

I know that everyone has been in their own personal lion’s den. A place where you knew you could not escape.

Some have experienced that lion’s den briefly, while others have experienced an extended stay.

How secure or insecure are we in God as our rescuer, as our protector?

There is safety in Christ! As we see in Psalms 40:1-2.

The Lord hears - Psalms 40:1 - I waited patiently for the LORD; and he turned to me, and heard my cry.

The Lord lifts - Psalms 40:2 - He lifted me up also out of the slimy pit, out of the miry clay, The Lord secures - Psalms 40:2 - and set my feet upon a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand.

What is your trouble? What do you need rescuing from or to seek refuge from?

Daniel, an obedient man of God, would not compromise his faith. God rescued him!

Jonah, a servant who disobeyed the commandment of the Lord, ran! He ran from God’s calling and he was swallowed up by a great fish.

He asked the Lord for forgiveness and for God to rescue him, and God did!

Daniel, Jonah; two different stories, the same result. God rescued them!

If you look at both of these men, what do you think God was trying to cultivate in them while they waited to be rescued?

The definition of cultivate is to acquire or develop, to prepare land for a good harvest or garden.

For there to be a good harvest the Lord must root in you what He wants you to have while you wait. He wants you to be rooted in Him. Rooted in His garden.

Psalms 1:3 - And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The characteristics of a tree planted by the riverside is that it is always ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaves do not fade or wither; it grows to maturity.

What is God trying to cultivate in you while you’re in need or desperation of being rescued?

God is saying in these times of waiting in your lion’s den or in that great fish; I am rooting you, grounding you. I have not forgotten you.

If not for God, we could not stand. God is cultivating you so that you can stand strong in Him.