[Mother Peacock and Baby]
My photograph above of the mother peacock with her baby seems to fit the title of this post, as the mother shelters and protects her baby and is a refuge for it to flee to when danger is afloat. My photo below gives a better idea of the mother's protection.
Most of you (especially Christians) will agree that this old and troubled and chaotic world is not a safe refuge by any means! So what can we do? The answer is found in Psalm 46:1 which follows:
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
Following are abbreviated quotes from James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary on Psalm 46:1 =
"..... It is a blessed thing to know Jesus Christ, the Friend who sticketh closer than a brother. God is our refuge from isolation and from human misunderstanding..... Again, it is a hard, but it is a Divine, lesson to be calm and restrained under wrongful blame, a difficult, but a splendid victory. God is our refuge from provocation...... Again, everything around us changes. The world itself is but for a time. We ourselves grow old and change, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yea, and forever, (Hebrews 13:8), and he that doeth the will of God abideth forever (1 John 2:17). God is our refuge from change.God is our refuge from sin and sorrow : [ abbreviated = ] ..... "the forgiveness of sins is offered to us in Jesus Christ our Savior. ... In sorrow, if we but look up to the face of our Father, without Whom not a sparrow falls to the ground; and say... "Thou, O God, art my refuge in the day of trouble.God is our refuge from uncertainty. ... God reveals Himself to the childlike in heart, and His revelation addresses itself to the whole of our nature and not to one part: to the warm, loving heart, as well as to the cold, scoffing intellect. ... Light is sprung up in the darkness...To those that thus receive the LORD, the refuge becomes also an Almighty Strength in whose Holy Spirit the very weakest of us can live a life to His glory and to the good of others." (End of Nisbet's quotes)
On this Psalm 46, Martin Luther, in 1529, wrote his wonderful hymn : "A Mighty Fortress is our God", and here it is for your encouragement below:
Following are abbreviated comments by Charles Spurgeon on Psalm 46:1 on his "Faith's Checkbook" devotion of 12-22-20:
" ... Very few earthly helps could be called "very present". They are usually far in the seeking, far in the using, and farther still when once used. But as for the Lord our God, He is present when we seek Him, present when we need Him, and present when we have already enjoyed His aid."He is more than "present", He is very present . More present than the nearest friend can be, for He is in us in our trouble; more present than we are to ourselves, for sometimes we lack presence of mind."He is always present, effectually present, sympathetically present, altogether present. He is present now if this is a gloomy season. Let us rest ourselves upon Him. He is our refuge ; let us hide in Him; He is our strength; let us array ourselves with Him; He is our help; He is our very present help. Let us repose in Him NOW. We need not have a moment's care or an instant's fear. "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." - Psalm 46:7,11
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of life." - John 8:12
"I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope." - Psalm 130:5
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." - Jesus the Savior at John 14:1-4
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." - Titus 2:13-14
From the Scriptures immediately above, we have a sure hope that Jesus will return to take true believers to heaven to be with Him!
Think about it! How wonderful and encouraging that is!
And all indications from how Bible prophecy is playing out now and coming true at warp speed in these the last moments of the last days.... Jesus' return must be very soon! Many scholars and theologians agree! But most importantly, God's Holy Word the Bible agrees!
If Jesus returns today or tomorrow or soon thereafter, are you "Rapture Ready?" You are if you are born again (a spiritual birth from above; from God and Jesus - a belief that Jesus is the Savior and that His shed blood at the Cross can wash you clean if you but believe with all of your very being that He is the Savior, and the only way to the Father and heaven.) If you believe like that, then you are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) and are truly a new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
If you are not saved, not born again, do NOT delay! Time is running out!
Jesus loves you and will welcome you with open arms, and embrace you with His love and His forgiveness!
Following are Scriptures on how to be saved. Repent of your sins and pray to the good Lord for forgiveness. He honors a sincere heart; a heart sorrowful for sins and full of repentance.
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." - John 3:36
"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 2 Corinthians 6:2
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." - John 14:6
"I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness." - Jesus at John 12:46
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?" - John 11:25-26
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life!
[Mother Peacock and Baby]
Following are abbreviated comments by Charles Spurgeon on Psalm 46:1 on his "Faith's Checkbook" devotion of 12-22-20:
" ... Very few earthly helps could be called "very present". They are usually far in the seeking, far in the using, and farther still when once used. But as for the Lord our God, He is present when we seek Him, present when we need Him, and present when we have already enjoyed His aid.
"He is more than "present", He is very present . More present than the nearest friend can be, for He is in us in our trouble; more present than we are to ourselves, for sometimes we lack presence of mind.
"He is always present, effectually present, sympathetically present, altogether present. He is present now if this is a gloomy season. Let us rest ourselves upon Him. He is our refuge ; let us hide in Him; He is our strength; let us array ourselves with Him; He is our help; He is our very present help. Let us repose in Him NOW. We need not have a moment's care or an instant's fear. "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." - Psalm 46:7,11
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of life." - John 8:12
"I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope." - Psalm 130:5
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." - Jesus the Savior at John 14:1-4
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." - Titus 2:13-14
From the Scriptures immediately above, we have a sure hope that Jesus will return to take true believers to heaven to be with Him!
Think about it! How wonderful and encouraging that is!
And all indications from how Bible prophecy is playing out now and coming true at warp speed in these the last moments of the last days.... Jesus' return must be very soon! Many scholars and theologians agree! But most importantly, God's Holy Word the Bible agrees!
If Jesus returns today or tomorrow or soon thereafter, are you "Rapture Ready?" You are if you are born again (a spiritual birth from above; from God and Jesus - a belief that Jesus is the Savior and that His shed blood at the Cross can wash you clean if you but believe with all of your very being that He is the Savior, and the only way to the Father and heaven.) If you believe like that, then you are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) and are truly a new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
If you are not saved, not born again, do NOT delay! Time is running out!
Jesus loves you and will welcome you with open arms, and embrace you with His love and His forgiveness!
Following are Scriptures on how to be saved. Repent of your sins and pray to the good Lord for forgiveness. He honors a sincere heart; a heart sorrowful for sins and full of repentance.
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." - John 3:36
"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 2 Corinthians 6:2
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." - John 14:6
"I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness." - Jesus at John 12:46
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?" - John 11:25-26
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life!
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