Psalm 94:22 ... But the Lord is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.
Exhortation: (Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet)
Sometimes we will do something and it just isn't working out. If we have prayed before we bought the item or did the action and if we were reminded of a scripture after praying or a dream and we followed the direction we believe to have been from God, then we have both "defense" and "refuge" in that which God showed us as a result of our prayer on the matter. If we forgot to pray and things went really wrong, I have found that God still rescues me!
Recently this happened to me as I changed a sound processor. Pam and I received a very good deal on two sound processors. The sound was excellent but there was a flaw built into the machine. The video part of the machine did not have current HDMI and the picture was defective. My sound guy offered to take it in at full price paid toward another machine. The second machine was going to cost more but to me it was the way of escape. I could easily afford to upgrade and it was a way out of the troublesome machine so this is way I went and Pam did also. I felt God made the way of escape for us. We didn't lose any money, we got rid of the defective machine, and we upgraded to a machine that should really do what we want.
As we were working through this problem the secular saying, throwing good money after bad, came up.
But to throw good money after bad would have been to spend money on a defective product to try to fix the product. To spend money to get away from the defective product was another matter.
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Another example of God being my refuge ...
Many years ago, I went to college to train as a teacher. A teacher would most often think people you teach can be helped by your instruction.
But then I was called to be a minister. And God began teaching me another direction in spiritual matters. You can explain with great skill but unless God opens the eyes of the person you are teaching and unless God gives the person understanding your repeated teachings will not prevail.
Jesus spoke in parables and those who were of God saw and God gave them understanding. But the others did not see. Mk 4 ... And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
We can speak the word given us by God but we cannot make them understand. Understanding comes from God. And if God chooses to open their eyes, their eyes are opened. Nevertheless it is our job to speak what God gives and God will do according to His will. God saves and God destroys.
Mt. 16 ... When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
God revealed this truth to Peter. God opened Peter's eyes to understand the truth. This showed also that Peter was of God. But there were many who did not understand the words spoken by Jesus and the disciples. When this happened, they just moved on to other people. They didn't keep trying to make a person understand. Jesus even said the following to the Pharisees ... Jn. 8 ... Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
We speak the word and when the person does not understand, we move on ... To stay and try to teach that person would be futile. Understanding is of God and we cannot make them understand what we say by more teaching. So we go speak to someone else. If God gives understanding that person will understand.
God opened the eyes of Paul to understand. No man can make another understand things of God. It is only God who can cause a person to see spiritual things.
Several years ago I was given this dream: I checked into a hotel and was taken to my room. When the door to the room opened I was shocked. The room was a mess. The bed hadn't been made. Towels were scattered about. I went downstairs to the desk and explained that my room had not been cleaned. I expected them to take action immediately to get the room in order but they did nothing.