Rayni Risher

God is a Refuge

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Reading through Psalm 9 recently, these verses stood out to me:

“God’s a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you’re never sorry you knocked.” (Psalm 9: 9-12, The Message)

You’re never sorry you knocked.

Isn’t that beautiful?

I can imagine walking up to God’s door, like walking up to the home of a best friend where you’re fully accepted and always welcome just as you are. Weighed down with problems, the moment you enter His presence you feel utter relief.

Have you ever felt utter relief? I have.

The world can be exhausting, can’t it? Health problems, relationship drama, political divisiveness, disappointment.

What is the mountain you’re facing?

What is the disappointment weighing on you?

What is the grief that’s spilling out of you?

You know, God is always with us. His presence is already here, with you in your day-to-day moments.

Take a moment right now to rest and relax with Him; to leave what is burdening you at His feet.

“You’re never sorry you knocked.”

 

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Breaking Every Chain

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Chains“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.” Acts 16:25-26 MSG

Paul and Silas both lay shackled in a jail cell after being severely beaten and wrongfully imprisoned. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, they made a decision to worship God by singing and praying.

God responded to their worship in a powerful way.

Not only were Paul and Silas literally freed from prison but all the other prisoners were loosed from their chains, too. Those who witnessed Paul’s and Silas’ worship – and God breaking the chains – were deeply affected. As a result the jailer and his entire family came to faith that night.

Reading this reminds me that no matter what is happening in my life, I am created to worship God. During good times and difficult times, God is worthy of my praise. Worship is an active response to God’s great love for us.

It also reminds me that worship breaks the chains that are binding us. And other people get to witness God’s powerful response in our life.

Worship establishes divine strongholds in your life and in your city.

I want to encourage you today to worship God even if you don’t feel like it. Just try it and see what happens.

 

 

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God Doesn’t Delight in Destruction

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Over the last six months I’ve been reading through the Bible in chronological order and it has been very insightful to read it in the order it was written.

As I read through the book of Ezekiel, a few verses stopped me in my tracks. God is speaking and He says:

“Do you think I take any pleasure in the death of wicked men and women? Isn’t it my pleasure that they turn around, no longer living wrong but living right—really living?…The upshot is this, Israel: I’ll judge each of you according to the way you live. So turn around! Turn your backs on your rebellious living so that sin won’t drag you down. Clean house. No more rebellions, please. Get a new heart! Get a new spirit! Why would you choose to die, Israel? I take no pleasure in anyone’s death. (Ezekiel 18: 23; 30-32)

Verse 32 clearly says that God does not take any pleasure in the death of wicked men and women.

How can this be? Because, if we’re honest, the majority of people are happy when a truly wicked person who has done horrific things dies. Or at the least we feel justice has been served.

But God is not like us. And I’m glad about that.

His thoughts and actions are often beyond our understanding. (Isaiah 55)

Make no mistake that God is just and His justice will be served. Romans 12:9 says,
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

But God doesn’t wish that anyone would perish and spend eternity away from Him. Rather He desires that the wicked would repent—change their life and receive a renewed heart.

This extreme grace that God shows to people who we think don’t “deserve” grace can feel offensive at times, can’t it?

And yet, the Bible says that God is love. (1 John 4:8) He is literally love. He lovingly created each person with good purpose. Doesn’t it make sense, then, if His people go down the wrong path that He would want them to turn around and be healed and saved? Rather than destroyed?

“God is all mercy and grace—not quick to anger, is rich in love. God is good to one and all; everything He does is suffused with grace.” Psalm 145:8-9

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” Romans 2:4

 “For God does not show favoritism.” Romans 2:11

When I really think about it I’m glad that I serve a God who is so kind and so gracious and merciful that He so desires every person to be well and to be redeemed. No matter who that person is. No matter what they have done.

I think of David who was a murderer and adulterer but he repented and God called him a man after His own heart. I think of Paul, who wrote the majority of the New Testament. Paul, who terrorized and killed Christians before God literally knocked him off of his high horse and changed his life.

God’s mercy and grace extends even to the worst person. Because for it to be true mercy and for it to be true grace it has to.

Thank You, God, that You are love. Thank You that You are so full of mercy and grace that You don’t want anyone to be destroyed, but desire everyone to repent and to be redeemed. (2 Peter 3:9)

That is good news!

 

 

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Permission to Be Human

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I had great plans for the first part of last week. Articles to write, a video devotional to record, a blog with technical problems to update.

And then my husband got sick and was home for the entire week.

Suddenly my plan was thrown into chaos and then put on the back burner. Onto the front burner came extra cooking, cleaning, sanitizing, organizing, a visit to the doctor, and watching movies with my husband who was laid out on the couch in misery.

Then I started reading updates via Twitter, Facebook and email about all the wonderful things that other writers were accomplishing that week. And I thought about everything I had planned to write and didn’t.

I started to compare myself to others and sink low.

But here’s the deal. I’m deciding to give myself permission to be human. Because God does.

“As a father has compassion on His children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear (respect, revere, stand in awe of) Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14 NIV)

No, permission to be human doesn’t mean choose to be mediocre for the rest of your life. No, it doesn’t mean start willfully sinning because God’s grace will cover it.

But it does mean that sometimes something you didn’t expect happens and you have to put the rest of your life, and your ambitions, and your control of the situation on hold to do something more important.

Like taking care of your very sick husband.

Like actually living the life you’re writing about anyway. And trusting that God’s holding your future and it’s not going to be ruined by something unexpected being thrown into your path.

Because in the end, in terms of ministry, my husband comes before my writing.

Sometimes you just have to give yourself permission to be human. Whether your plans change because of sick kids at home, unexpected overtime at work, or something else you didn’t envision happening.

Maybe some nights you make a quick microwave meal instead of something fabulously homemade. Or you give yourself extra rest time because you need it, rather than making sure every last dish in your sink is clean and put away.

“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness.” (Psalm 145:8)

We’re human. Stuff happens. Some days we feel like we just summited Mt. Everest. Other days we feel like a flop. And God has compassion for us in the midst of it.

When is a recent time you had to give yourself “permission to be human”?

 

 

 

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God’s Redeeming Power

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I want to share with you a powerful and miraculous true story of God’s redeeming power in the life of someone who had “lost it all” due to her own destructive actions.

Many of you know the Christian writer and speaker Beth Moore. Her sister, Gay, is a recovered alcoholic and Gay’s personal story is shared in seven moving installments right here on Beth’s Living Proof Ministries Blog. I have linked to the final installment…once you get there you will see how to read each post in the order they were written.

Whether you or someone you know struggles with alcoholism, or you simply want to read about a life transformed by Jesus, please take some time to read it.

One of the main things Gay shares that she learned is that God kept giving her opportunities to recover, but she had to do her part in that recovery effort. Once that clicked she was able to move out of her addiction and into freedom!

John 8:34-36: “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son (Jesus) sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (NIV)

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