Psalm 9:9
The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.

This is a powerful promise and one to meditate on and memorize to be written on the tablets of our hearts and minds. The beauty of this passage is in the word, “Refuge”. In the Webster dictionary and bible dictionaries the word refuge means; a shelter and protection from danger or distress. What’s more interesting is the Hebrew definition for refuge: ‎misgab (mis-gawb) which also means; “CLIFF” – High and Lofty inaccessible to reach or obtain.

Here is the cross-reference for this very passage:

Psalm 91:2-5 “I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.“ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, NKJV Read the rest of this entry »

Genesis 39:21-22
“But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” NKJV

Since Joseph was a young boy God had a special plan for his life. God confirmed these plans through dreams given to Joseph about his future. These dreams told him that people would bow down to him including his own family. This of course did not go well with his family and shortly there after the trials for Joseph began.

Joseph was rejected by his own brothers, thrown in a cistern, sold into slavery, falsely accused and falsely imprisoned. Now imagine for a moment yourself being put in Joseph’s position or perhaps you could relate to some of the trials he went through. Some might think God was not with him or maybe he did not have enough faith to endure such tribulations but that is not what the bible says. It says in a number of passages that the Lord was with Joseph and in this particular passage it says God showed him mercy and favor.
God in His infinite wisdom and sovereignty had a plan for Joseph and part of that plan was to allow Joseph to go through hardship. It is a hard concept for us to accept or even agree with but the scriptures are clear that God was with him in the cistern, He was with him when he was enslaved and God was also with him when He was in prison. Read the rest of this entry »

by Filoiann Wiedenhoff

Hebrews 4:11
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, NKJV

Some of my favorite childhood memories were taking road trips to visit family and friends. I still remember the long drives (so I thought) from Sacramento to San Francisco. Along the way, as young people do – my brothers and I would ask over and over the same exact question, “Are we there yet?”

If I would have known then what I know now which is…how annoying that question truly is, especially after hearing it twenty times, I probably would have kept my lips closed but of course we didn’t think that far…after all we were kids.

I wonder how often as Christian adults we come to God asking that same question and hoping to hear a different answer. We want to be in a certain place at a certain time and instead of being patient and trusting that God knows what’s best for us; we can become frustrated and impatient and the worse part is we think maybe we should help God along to speed things up; as though He needs our help. NOT! This attitude is more common than we want to admit and I have been guilty of this myself. I thank God that He is so patient with us with tender mercies and also that His love is long suffering and never runs short.

Isn’t it interesting to think that as God teaches us to wait upon Him that He is also waiting on us? What I mean is; He is patiently waiting for us to come to the same conclusions children eventually learn as they grow older which is; It’s not about how fast we get there but to enjoy the ride because we know the destination we are heading to is well worth the wait and also that the driver will make sure to get us there safely.

So what can we learn from this spiritually?

It’s not a matter of waiting just to wait but Who it is we are waiting for. When we come to the understanding that our trust is to be fully in God’s own character; one Who is faithful, sovereign and always has our best interests at heart and in mind, we can wait patiently upon the Lord with rest and peace that He has us in His capable hands and the blessing is; when we rest and wait patiently in Him, He is most glorified in us.

The truth is it’s actually more difficult for most of us to wait upon the Lord than it is to rush out and try to make things happen. I believe that is why the author of Hebrews says, “Be diligent to enter into that rest.” Also, in the King James Version it says to “Labor to enter into that rest”. In other words it takes some effort and work to rest! It sounds funny but if you think about it; it’s true.

I believe the main reason we struggle to wait and rest in Him is because of our flesh nature. In our flesh nature we not only want things now but we also have been cursed with the duty to toil and labor for our provisions. It’s all about earning and working to receive our due…BUT when Christ came to fulfill the law and became our ultimate sacrifice once and for all He took up the curse for us on the cross and no longer do we need to toil for our salvation. We now have been given grace by faith through Christ God’s son.

To recap…in our old flesh we want to work (make spiritual things happen but in our time and our way) but never truly resting or receiving it. However in Christ as a new creation through the Holy Spirit we can rest and wait upon the Lord to work in us and the bible says in due time we will reap a harvest. It’s not that we are to just sit back and wait for God to do something FOR us; it’s to rest in that God is working through us and when He calls us to wait on Him we need to trust Him that He knows what is best for us and will give us His peace to rest and to wait.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” NKJV

So when your heart becomes frustrated in waiting on God, remind yourself that you can rest in Him and that you can trust God to provide in His perfect time. Ask God to take your burdens and in return He will give you His rest and peace for your soul.

Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” NKJV

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. NKJV

Dear Heavenly Father,
Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me – that cries, Abba Father. Help me to rest in your spirit patiently with confidence that you are faithful and will provide in your perfect time and in your perfect way. Amen

About the Author
Filoiann Wiedenhoff is a pastor’s wife from San Diego, Ca. She is also a mother, women’s counselor, writer and columnist. For more info you can visit her website at www.filoiannwiedenhoff.com.

For Unto Us a Child is Born

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; NKJV

In chapter 8, of Isaiah a prophetess gives birth to a son and God declares through him gloom, darkness and utter ruin to all who are given into familiar spirits, wickedness and also to those who set themselves up against God’s people and the throne of David.

Isaiah 8:3-4 “Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; for before the child shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.” NKJV

Isaiah continues in chapter nine how through their hunger, brokenness and dark despair they will see a great light.

Isaiah 9:2-4 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; they rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian. “

In the midst of their darkness and ruin God still provides a ray of hope through a shining light, read Matthew Henry’s commentary:

“He will bring the gospel of grace and through this grace God will break the yoke of sin and satan to remove the burden of guilt and corruption and to set us free from the rod of the oppressor. “

What shining light is God referring to? Read the rest of this entry »

by Filoiann Wiedenhoff

Hebrews 4:11
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, NKJV

Some of my favorite childhood memories were taking road trips to visit family and friends. I still remember the long drives (so I thought) from Sacramento to San Francisco. Along the way, as young people do – my brothers and I would ask over and over the same exact question, “Are we there yet?”

If I would have known then what I know now which is…how annoying that question truly is, especially after hearing it twenty times, I probably would have kept my lips closed but of course we didn’t think that far…after all we were kids.

I wonder how often as Christian adults we come to God asking that same question and hoping to hear a different answer. We want to be in a certain place at a certain time and instead of being patient and trusting that God knows what’s best for us; we can become frustrated and impatient and the worse part is we think maybe we should help God along to speed things up; as though He needs our help. NOT! This attitude is more common than we want to admit and I have been guilty of this myself. I thank God that He is so patient with us with tender mercies and also that His love is long suffering and never runs short.

Isn’t it interesting to think that as God teaches us to wait upon Him that He is also waiting on us? What I mean is; He is patiently waiting for us to come to the same conclusions children eventually learn as they grow older which is; It’s not about how fast we get there but to enjoy the ride because we know the destination we are heading to is well worth the wait. Read the rest of this entry »

Ps 91:14-16
“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”NIV

There’s an old story I heard when I was a little girl, about a woman who was in a car accident. The car rolled over twice and her child was stuck underneath. The mom saw that her child was about to be crushed under the car and without thinking she miraculously lifted up the car high enough to set her child free. Some people believe this is just another Urban Myth, but most people believe this story to be true.
Read the rest of this entry »

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV

Do you want to hear something funny? I started writing this article, “Dealing with Discouragement”, several months ago  and every time I began working on it, I would get discouraged and want to quit. Oh the irony. Well, I thought it was funny but now I wonder if it was spiritual warfare.

Discouragement comes in many forms; through trials, tribulations, burn-out, loss, grief, depression, weariness, illness, stress, finances, spiritual warfare, negative thoughts…the list can go on and on. With that said it also means it is universal and being universal you are not alone in your discouragement and you are not abnormal.

I have said this many times and I will say it again, “Trials and tribulations are part of life and life does happen.” In fact Jesus himself said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 NKJV

I love that God’s Word still applies to us today and because He has overcome the world we are more than conquerors through Him by faith. We can also find God’s comfort and His solutions through the scriptures, if we would take the time to look.  In this article we are going to take a deeper look at what discouragement is and find the biblical solution for this common but difficult situation. Read the rest of this entry »

Dealing with Unforgiveness

Release It and Let It Go…

I don’t think there is one adult that hasn’t had to deal with this all too common issue, “Unforgiveness.” I myself have had to deal with this very thing many times in my own life and each time it was not easy. So what is un-forgiveness? Well, in order to understand what un-forgiveness is, we have to understand what it isn’t.

The Webster’s Dictionary definition for forgive is: “To give up or cease to feel resentment, to grant relief from payment and/or to pardon” (which means to excuse an offense without exacting penalty).

When you forgive someone, you are willing to let go of the offense and any and all resentment, and then to pardon or show mercy. When you choose not to forgive you are doing the exact opposite.

I’m going to share with you the harmful effects un-forgiveness can have on your life, along with reasons why you need to forgive and how to do it:

It’s Alive: When you store un-forgiveness or resentment in your heart it is like a seed that grows whether you are conscious of it or not. It begins as anger, grows into resentment, and matures in bitterness. It begins to affect your mind and thoughts and how you view and treat others. Read the rest of this entry »

Upon entering a new year I ponder on the prior year and remember the good and the bad but most importantly I try to examine whether or not I have grown spiritually over the last twelve months or have I stayed stagnant in my walk with God or worse digressed. I do this every year to remind myself that no matter how long I have been a born again Christian, I still have much to learn and new growth waiting to spring up in me if I would just allow God to continue to water and nurture my life with His living water.

The word “Change” has been coming up a lot lately and I believe that word is from God for me. Do you think that word may also be for you too? One day I was in the midst of prayer and I was praying my usual, “God help me in this particular area” prayer when I felt the Holy Spirit remind me of this scripture;

“And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” NKJV – Matthew 9:28-29.

When I remembered this passage, I immediately responded as the blind men did and said, “Of course I do God!” After some thought I realized God was asking me a rhetorical question and already knew the answer. He wanted me to see myself as I really am which is that I have abundant faith in certain areas but in the areas I struggle with, it is as if I have no faith at all. Yes faith that God can certainly heal or change others but for me, Nah…I will just have to struggle with this the rest of my life. Read the rest of this entry »

James 1:16-18
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” NKJV

How would you love to be known as the perfect gift giver? Not just at Christmas, but birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and showers? The title alone would give you notoriety for sure…not to mention the reputation of a genius. Why do I say “Genius”?

It’s pure and simple: It’s not easy finding the perfect gift for someone. You have to know what they like, need or want; their particular tastes, styles and whether or not it fits into their own personal lifestyle.

It takes real time and effort to give the perfect gift and the reality is, it never comes without a cost.
The perfect gift giver usually spends time and effort into every detail from the personal gift that is unique for that particular person or one that is needful. This thoughtfulness goes beyond the normal thought of giving, to a genuine care or concern on whether or not this person will utilize, benefit and enjoy this gift long after they received it.
Read the rest of this entry »