My Refuge" December 8 Readings: Amos 5-6, 1 John 2:28–3:24, Psalm 139:1–5, Proverbs 30:5–6

  

Reading the Bible in 2025

Each day this year, we will read a selection from the Old Testament, the New Testament, a portion of the Psalms, and a part of Proverbs. By the end of the year, you will have read the entire Bible. We read this way to give you a bit of variety. 

NOTE: If you get behind, do not give up. Read today's readings and try to catch up when you have a chance. The goal is not to "accomplish a task" but to meet God in his word. Read the word. Also, if you are short on time, READ GOD'S WORD and skip my devotional!

Bible Readings: Amos 5-6, 1 John 2:28–3:24, Psalm 139:1–5, Proverbs 30:5–6

    Scriptures linked to Bible Gateway in ESV version 

Daily Devotional: My Refuge

We were shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend some years ago at Barnes and Noble, and my granddaughter saw a gift she wanted - some ridiculous thing called a Hatchimal. Jenni and her parents diverted her while I circled around and got the special sale item and snuck to the cashier, paid for it, and put it in a bag (got it double-bagged so she couldn't see). As we left the store, she got increasingly agitated that we weren't buying the Hatchimal for her. As the scene escalated (kids are born with the instinct to embarrass parents and grandparents in public), I was struck by the irony that she was throwing a tantrum to get something I'd already purchased. It was in my hand, and I was going to give it to her. It was hers, she just hadn't received it yet.

Not a subtle point, right?

I wonder if God sometimes looks at us as I looked at Johannah that day. I often fret, fume, and rage about things he has already dealt with. I am worrying, and he's got it taken care of. Perhaps the answer hasn't come yet, but it is on the way. I strive and struggle, instead of simply resting and trusting in him. When the answer comes, I feel the fool. Then, too often, I do the same thing the next time.

It's not as if God has ever let me down or dropped the ball. Yes, there have been times when I've had to wait for his answers, and I've wondered if he'd forgotten me, but time proved his constant fidelity. Too often, I do not take advantage of the protection and blessing that he offers. Look what Proverbs 30:5 says.

He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 

Is God my shield and protector? Absolutely! His power, his protection, his blessing, his care, and his constant presence are all available to me by grace through faith in Christ. But there are too many times I fail to take refuge in him. I stress out, freak out, fret, and fall apart because I try to handle on my own what God has already dealt with by his sovereign power. God is always there and always faithful, but I am so busy trying to take care of everything myself that I don't even notice. What folly.

God has never given me a reason to distrust him, so I must learn to trust him daily. His love is unbounded, his faithfulness is eternal, his grace is amazing, and his power is overwhelming. So, I must repent of my independence, release my grip on my own life, and relax into his grace. He is my shield, and I trust him.

Father, I trust you to protect me from those who might seek my destruction. I will take refuge in you and not in the power of my flesh. 

Consider God's Word:

Which of these four passages spoke most clearly to you today? 

Is there sin in your life that needs to be confessed and dealt with that was revealed in one of these passages? 

Is there something in your life that needs to change?

Is there a struggle in your life that one of these passages spoke to? 

Do you trust in God's grace and "take refuge in him" or do you stress and worry as you try to handle life in this world on your own.
Think back to the last major crisis you dealt with - personally, professionally, as a family. Did your response to that demonstrate faith or fear? Did it show that you were taking refuge in God or trying to fight the battle on your own?