BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Anyone who thinks it doesn't needs to look at what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. They don't exist anymore. You and I can't go there on vacation and tour the antiquity museums. Those cities are gone. God had to judge and destroy them, because if He'd let the evil there continue unchecked, it would have contaminated the whole world. It would have darkened the hearts of future generations and prevented God from getting through to them. Although the world hasn't gotten to that point yet in our day (and I don't believe it will as long as the Church is on the earth preaching the gospel and living for Jesus), sin is clearly having a negative e ect on this planet. The earth can take only so much evil before it revolts, and things like earthquakes, fi res, famines and plagues start to multiply. That's why the closer we get to the end of this age, the more dangerous this world will become. You Can Be Sheltered and Secure "Well, Gloria," you might say, "you're making things sound pretty scary." I know, and they would be scary if it weren't for this: As believers, God has provided protection for us. He has o ered us a refuge from the dangers of this world. If we take Him up on that o er, we can be like the man in Psalm 91 who dwells in the secret place of the Most High. We can say with confi dence: "The Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confi dently] trust!" (verses 1-2, Amplifi ed Bible, Classic Edition). A refuge is a wonderful thing. It provides a place of safety even in the midst of the most terrible destruction. Have you ever seen old photos of people during World War II crowding into underground bomb shelters? That's a good illustration of what a refuge can do. It can protect you and literally save your life when evil and violence are exploding all around. In times of trouble, even a natural refuge can be a great blessing. But a supernatural refuge—the kind that God provides for us— is an even greater blessing. Unlike a natural shelter, there's always plenty of room in the secret place of the Most High. God will never turn you away and tell you there's no vacancy. He'll never say, "My shelter is full." God is big! He's big enough to cover everyone who comes to Him. He's so big He can keep us surrounded continually by His goodness, so that wherever we are we can say, like David did in 2 Samuel 22:2-3: "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence." Obedience Matters If anyone ever needed a refuge from violence, David did. He faced a lot of it in his lifetime. He had to fi ght the lion and the bear that attacked his father's sheep. He had to single-handedly slay the murderous giant Goliath. But he could do it all without fear because he had this revelation: "The LORD [is]...My lovingkindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge" (Psalm 144:1-2, New King James Version). Look again at those last two words. I italicized them for emphasis because they're especially important. They let us know that God's sheltering power doesn't just fall on us like an apple o a tree. We have to do something to appropriate it. We 2 8 : B V O V We feed on God's promises of protection until all fear has been eradicated from our hearts." 2 Declare out loud that God is your refuge. (Ps. 91:2) 3 Be steadfast and unwavering in your faith and in your walk with God. (Jas. 1:6-7) 4 Study the Word and fi nd out how God wants you to live. (Jas. 1:21) 1 Build your faith for protection by feeding on what the Bible says about it. (Rom. 10:17) 5 Abide in the secret place by obeying the voice and the written Word of God. (Jas. 1:22) POINTS TO GET YOU THERE: "

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