As we continue our study of being intentional, I have asked Patti Burkett to share on Psalm 73:28. Don’t miss this post on making God your Refuge.
But as for me, it is good to be near God.I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds (Ps. 73:28, NIV).
(Ps. 73:28, NIV)
Cities of Refuge
In the Old Testament, the law stated that a murderer should be put to death. However, our
gracious God also provided Cities of Refuge (Ex. 21:13). It was here that someone who
committed murder unintentionally could flee for protection from the family member seeking to
avenge their relative’s death.
A City of Refuge can be thought of as a beautiful picture of what the Lord Jesus has done for
us. Our faith in Christ is a refuge from the consequences of death and the punishment we
deserve because of our sins.
You Have a Haven
If you’ve placed your faith in Jesus, God is also your haven from the troubles of this world:
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar
and foam and the mountains quake with their surging
(Ps. 46:1-3, NIV).
This is one of my all-time favorite passages of Scripture and one I’m working on memorizing.
When hard times hit, the same God who rescued us from our sins wants us to run to him for
comfort, strength, wisdom, and practical help.
It’s A Deliberate Choice
Making God our refuge is a deliberate choice we make at salvation and day by day. Sometimes
moment by moment!
In Psalm 73:28, the worship leader Asaph’s “But as for me…” declaration is telling us he’s
intentionally making God his refuge. He’s determined not only to look to God for salvation, but for joy, peace, and future hope that surpasses anything we have on earth.
Asaph purposed to find his joy and strength in the Lord even when the circumstances of his life
were miserable and everywhere he looked the wicked seemed to be prospering.
What made him decide to do this?
He spent time with God (Ps. 73:16-17)!
As For Me…
Are you intentional about running to Jesus even in the midst of hard times? Even when life
seems unfair?
Even though I was a believer, at one time my last thought in trouble was to run to God.
Instead, I furiously tried to control my ever-shifting circumstances.
Years later, I now understand why.
I’d always been highly intentional about how I lived my life.
I was intentional about the possessions I kept in our home. Decluttering was one of my favorite
hobbies. Still is!
I followed simple daily routines and a weekly schedule to ensure that I was investing my time
according to my priorities and goals.
I could go on and on about how intentional I was in every area of my life.
And yet there was one area that lacked my deliberate attention.
That area was my relationship with God.
Relationship With God is Key
Sure I’d come to Christ to save me from my sins, but I hadn’t cultivated a strong relationship with
him through daily time reading the Bible and in prayer.
I hadn’t experienced sitting at his feet yet and drinking in the majesty and beauty of his
presence.
When trouble hit me in the form of a rare brain disease, it was completely unnatural for me to
run to the Lord and find my shelter in him.
When I sought the Lord during this painful time, it was like trying to share raw emotions and
personal secrets with a new acquaintance. Awkward and as unsatisfying as the sugar-free diet
foods I ate to control my weight.
Yet because our God is so filled with loving-kindness, he met me just where I was. Slowly he
taught me to find daily strength, comfort, and correction in his Word.
Setting Aside Time For God
I learned that I needed to set aside daily time to meet with him. There, I slowly learned to cast
my burdens on him. I found the strength and comfort I need to cope with my illness and all the
changes it brought into my life.
Because his love is better than life (Psalm 63:3, niv), I found the secret to joy and peace even in the
midst of hard times.
I wish I’d understood back then
how critical it is to spend time in the Word and prayer each day.
Memorizing Key Scriptures Helps so much too!
As a new believer, no one gave me a Bible and explained I should be reading it regularly.
I hear this far too often!
Or, sometimes a friend will say their time with God consists of reading a daily devotional with a
line or two of Scripture in it.
This is sure better than nothing but is really meant to be a little snack. Not the full-course meal
of reading whole passages of Scripture for ourselves.
What About You?
What about you, friend?
- Are you living intentionally when it comes to cultivating your relationship with your Heavenly Father?
- If you already read the Word and pray daily, is there another area of your spiritual life that you need to be more intentional about?
- What might help you draw nearer to your God?
- Perhaps your regular time with him has grown a little stale and you need to switch to a different Bible reading plan. Or, maybe you need to slow down and savor your Father’s words more instead of rushing through to check off your daily reading.
- Maybe God is calling you to obey his Word more or
- to get more honest with him in prayer.
God will never ever turn his children away when we run to him for shelter and help in our time of
need!
Yet how much better it is when trouble hits if communing with our Heavenly Father is as natural
as breathing because we’re already in the habit of doing it on a regular basis.
What do you need to be more intentional about today in your relationship with the Lord?
-Patti Burkett
Patti is a passionate follower of Jesus, and one very blessed wife, mom, and grandma. She loves making a big pot of something and having people over, serving at her church, and anything outdoors (in a city girl way). Patti loves writing to share the hope she’s found in Christ no matter what happens in life.
Connect with Patti
at https://hopenomatterwhat.com
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Other Posts on Being Intentional
- But As For Me and My Household – Joshua 24:15
- Becoming an Intentional Messenger of God – Jeremiah 26:14-15
- Wellness: Becoming Intentionally Evergreen – Psalm 52:8
- Becoming Intentional about Boasting in Christ. – Galatians 6:14
- Doubting our Faith – Why Do the Wicked Prosper? – Psalm 73:1-16
- You May Feel Forsaken But God Will Uphold
- But as For me, Poor and in Pain – Psalm 69:29
- Intentional: I Will Not Stop Praying
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story. I too realized how much I had taken for granted before chronic illness set in. It was a learning experience for me to come to see that He desired all of me, broken health and all. What a gracious God we have! Blessings to you!
Bettie, Thanks so much for sharing that. I hear you! You would think that after the experience of losing so much physical ability, I would never again take God’s blessings for granted. Yet I still find I need to constantly remind myself of all He’s done for me and that my relationship with Him is the primary thing. That’s why I love this mutual sharing of our experiences. Blessings, sister!