Becoming a Refuge

Becoming a Refuge
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9 – AKJV)

Webster defines “refuge” as “a shelter from danger or distress.”

All followers of Christ have found refuge from the blight of sin, fear of death, and from the oppression the enemy has brought upon them:

…that by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us…

It follows that, having found refuge ourselves, we have an obligation to offer it to others. Obligation, however, is never the bedrock upon which the Love of Christ operates; it is always a compelling necessity worked by the Holy Spirit in the heart of the true believer, and in the will of a follower of Christ. Love renders him incapable of responding in any other way than in love.

The best I can describe it is as an inn always open for business. After Jesus’s birth there was no room for Him in the inn, but there must always be room in our hearts for anyone suffering any kind of trouble or affliction. If they can find refuge nowhere else, they ought always to find it in the hearts of those professing to be followers of Jesus.

My Heart is an Inn

(1992)

     “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)

My heart is an Inn on the highway of life,

To shelter the victims of hatred and strife.

It opens more widely than doors and iron gates

To the hungry and thirsty and sick reprobates.

For the rooms in my heart have been paid for and bought

By the love and the Grace my Saviour has wrought.

When He died on the Cross for the sins I have done,

I reserved all the rooms for His own use and some

Of the halt, the lame, and the wilfully blind —

And anyone else that my Saviour can find.

My heart is an Inn, a Haven, a Rest,

To the weary and even the ones I love best;

For nothing I do is of value, except,

In terms of a payment that’s due on a debt.

For I owe all I am, all I do, all I seek

To the One Who redeemed me even when I was weak.

He drank to the dregs the cup of my sin

To bring this loser an overwhelming win.

It’s no wonder then friend that my heart is aflame

To welcome all travellers in Jesus’ Name.

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Tower of Refuge (Douglas, IOM) by Malost. Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license. No changes were made to this photograph.

No Small Thing

No Small Thing

(Picture credits at end of post)

Matthew 10:40-42

And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”  Matthew 10:42– NASB)

What we consider to be small acts of kindness are not considered small from a Heavenly point of view. Our Lord considers the smallest act as worthy of a reward.

There is the true account of Dr. Howard A. Kelly. He was famous in medical circles, and a brilliant surgeon, besides being a devout Christian man.

While in medical school he sold books to help pay his way, going from house to house to offer his wares. It was thirsty work, so he stopped at a farmhouse and requested a drink of water from the young girl who came to the door. Instead of the water she offered him a glass of milk. The milk was cool and refreshing, which he greatly enjoyed.

A number of years later Dr. Kelly had graduated from medical school. At last he became chief surgeon at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.

One day a woman was admitted to the hospital in a serious condition. She was placed in a private room and assigned a private nurse. Skilled surgeon as he was, Dr. Kelly did everything in his power to make her well. The operation was a success, and the woman recovered rapidly.

While she was overjoyed that she was recovering and would soon be going home, her joy was somewhat lessened by the thought of how she was going to pay for the operation and other related hospital fees. When the nurse brought the bill to her she was shocked to see how much each of the itemized services she had received cost. Each item seemed like an extra weight pressing down upon her. However was she going to pay for it all? At last she looked for the total at the bottom of the page. It was a very large amount, but under it was a notation: ‘Paid in full with one glass of milk! It was signed: ‘Howard A Kelly, M.D.’

You may not have the resources to do any “great” things, or get any recognition by the world for what you have done. However, if you give attention to detail, and do the small things that are within your power to do. You will not lose your reward. There are no small things with God.

Nothing Small

© Friday 10^th October 2014 – by Christopher Shennan

A small glass of water and a winning smile

Was all she could give to the man who came

To ask for a drink and to rest awhile,

But it felt like a fortune, all the same.

Just a moment he stayed to lend a hand

And encourage the lad who failed the test,

But the touch and the word helped him to stand,

And resolved in his heart to do his best.

The girl who’d been bullied, felt she could die,

Till a teacher took her under her wing;

Her heart was heavy, with many a sigh,

But this act of kindness taught her to sing.

There is nothing small if the gift is but true;

A smile, a hug, or a glass of cold milk;

A kind gesture seems a treasure, to you –

A rough woven garment can feel like silk.

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Water Glass, copyright by emptypulchritude. Used under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, found here: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/. Find picture athttp://emptypulchritude.deviantart.com/art/Water-Glass-322320544. No changes were made to the photo.