“The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear or dread? The
Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1 AMPC
“In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union
with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His
boundless might provides].”
Ephesians 6:10 AMPC
Grace Perspective:
Where do we turn when life is hard, and trouble seems to be on every side? David, who wrote Psalm 27, was deeply familiar with the perils surrounding him. Scripture tells us how his enemies pursued him with the intent to kill him, so David had to find literal places of refuge to hide to escape death. In those places of refuge, David sought the Lord – leaning on the truth that the Lord is the ultimate stronghold or safe harbor.
Paul, who wrote Ephesians 6:10, was also well-acquainted with trouble. He had many enemies who wanted to kill him because he boldly proclaimed the gospel of grace—that Jesus died for our sins and that all who trust in His sacrifice are saved from eternal separation from God. Throughout Ephesians, Paul encourages believers to remember who Christ is and to draw strength from their relationship with Him. As Paul confronted those who wanted him to stop talking about Christ, he drew strength from leaning into the Lord, knowing he was secure because of his union with Christ.
A Touch of Grace:
What thoughts keep troubling you?
How can you draw strength from the Lord for today’s troubles?
Grace Application:
Life is hard…do you ever feel this way? Do you struggle with dread when you get up in the morning, sometimes feeling like trouble is lurking around every corner? Some days are like that for me, too. I think, “When’s the next shoe going to drop?”
On these days, I have to focus on the truth of Scripture. These two passages help me remember that God is good. He is my refuge and my strength, and because I trust that Jesus is my Savior, I don’t have to dread the troubles that surround me. I remind myself that God already knows my problems and that He will strengthen me to persevere through all of life’s trials.
When we continue to ruminate on our troubles, we may find comfort in hymns based on Scriptural truth. Here’s a hymn that reminds us that we can lean on God, and His steadfast love is a refuge. With this truth in mind, what do we have to dread?
What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.
O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
I have peace complete with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!
In His Grace,
Dawn
Prayer
Gracious Father, I come to You in the precious name of Jesus Christ, thankful that You are my refuge and stronghold. Because I am in Christ Jesus, I have no reason to dread trials. Forgive me when I forget this truth and let fear consume me. Holy Spirit, help me to find my strength in Christ as I lean into His everlasting arms. Amen.
**Today, as you read this, I pray you will know you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubts, please call out to God so that doubt is erased. Today is a good day to be assured of Salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at graceisdawning@gmail.com**