FAITH: God longs for us to lean on Him

Published 12:57 am Saturday, May 22, 2021

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Rev. Brad McKenzie

‘Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord : He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.

If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”’  Psalm 91:1-16 NLT

I have leaned upon this passage for most of my life and have leaned into it a lot lately.  One of the common statements in my family’s morning and evening prayer time is, “keep us healthy and safe!”  I would assume this would be the desire of all families and a common request of the Lord.  I will tell you this today, I fully believe the Lord is my refuge and my place of safety, and I desire whole heartily to completely trust in Him!

Lately, several people in my sphere and congregation have been dealing with some very difficult times.  As a human being and as a pastor, my heart hurts and grieves with others when they are dealing with life’s hardships.  Maybe you are also dealing with life’s hardships.  I want to encourage you to read over the psalm above and ask the Lord to use it to encourage you and strengthen you.  I also want to encourage you to cry out to God and tell Him how you feel, but also tell Him you want to trust in Him through this circumstance.  God desires to hear from you, and He longs for us to lean on Him.

He is our shelter, refuge, and so desires to be your safe place.  Rest in His safety!  You are Valued and Loved!  Pastor Brad

Rev. Brad McKenzie is Lead Pastor at Orange First Church of the Nazarene, 3810 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Orange.