September 14 I Tuesday

Proverbs 19-21

2 Corinthians 7

“…Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”   —Psalm 2:12

If we are honest, some of us are living according to our own ways and gratifying our own desires. But as we read from Scripture, this path will only lead to a dead-end street, to our downfall and to our destruction. For those who have turned from Jesus, they are going to get their heart’s desire, which is utter darkness, where there is the absence of any life, any truth and any understanding—just complete chaos. Hence, the psalmist warns, “Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and celebrate His rule with trembling. Kiss His Son, or He will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for His wrath can flare up in a moment.” (Psalm 2:10-12). The psalmist begs for those who hold to the darkness of atheism, secularism, the countless schools of religion or philosophy that would seek to supplant Jesus, to turn from this path.

      In the New Testament, John tells us, “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7). If we claim to be in Christ, we cannot walk in darkness because there is no fellowship with God in darkness.

      As we read the final words of Psalm 2, it gives us a glimmer of hope and offers a way out of God’s wrath: “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him” (Psalm 2:12). Supremely happy and blessed are those who take refuge in God’s One and Only Son. Would we choose this day to submit to God’s ways and His desires? Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

      We can take delight as we trust in the Lord and lean upon Him, as Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). As we submit to God, we find that we are blessed as we take refuge in Him.

Prayer: Dear God, what a blessing it is to take refuge in You. I submit my ways and my desires into Your hands. Lord God, may You have Your way with my life. Thank You, Lord.