Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Romans 11:33.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4.

So now we draw near freely and boldly to where grace is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness. Hebrews 4:16 TPT.

This morning in our Friday Retreat, we first went to God over and over with shared blessings and prayers of thanks for each one; and then we brought concerns to that same throne of God knowing that He was right here in the midst of us. And then we did an exercise of looking at the screen filled with words of affirmation of every good thing that our Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, brings. We noted which word or words spoke to us especially. I saw the word Hope twice, and then drank in the words Embrace, Understanding, Restoration, Direction, Courage. And then after we each shared which word or words spoke to us, we shared what we have gleaned in our own walks with God as He has been guiding us because our hearts are open to receive all the Holy Spirit speaks to us. That happens as you sit with people who love God – we share! Can you look back on your life and see where God has been with you? Some of the highlights from this mornings conversations for me: Shift your focus from your problem to God…Have the strength not to take on the pain personally, that’s not our job…Open yourself to God so He can work in you…God meets us in the moment. And the beauty is that we experience those truths when we trust God for everything. It takes time. He is doing a good work that only He can do. And sometimes He asks us to just be still with Him, no words, just be present with Him.

And the beauty is that once we start trusting our God, the words of our psalm, Psalm 91, take on deeper, personal meaning. Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” v. 1, 2. It isn’t that we don’t see the problems everywhere in this world and in ourselves. It’s that as we keep our eyes on God we have His assurances. Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence…He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart…v. 3, 4. I know, you are thinking of all the faithful people of God who die from illness, from violence, who live daily in fear that is real or imagined. That’s exactly why we need our refuge to be in God and His faithfulness. The problems in this world are not over yet. Jesus told us there would be suffering because He knows what is in mens hearts. But, and this is important, we keep our eyes on our God. He is our strength, not us. Satan tried to misuse this psalm when he tempted Jesus in the desert. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. v. 11, 12. And Jesus’s answer? Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matthew 4:7. God doesn’t have to prove anything to us. If you’re not sure, ask. Ask Him to help you see Him in your life. And then notice when blessings are there you were too busy to notice before….they were there! Notice the peace that comes when you ask Him for help. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” v. 14-16. He will be with us in trouble…He will deliver us and show us our salvation and it is in our God who loves us faithfully. Assurance and Restoration…I long for that day when we will all of us be restored by God to all He has for us; and I appreciate all He is doing right now in every moment. He is leading us in a closer walk with Him and it is wonderful and needed.