04/08/2024

THE GREAT REFUGE FOR YOUNG, OLD AND ALL BELIEVERS

Deuteronomy 33:27-29; Psalm 46:1-11; Hebrews 6:17-20

The Lord assures all believers of safety and comfort in the midst of uncertainties. He is
the everlasting God, our Refuge and hiding place. With His everlasting arms, He shelters
us from harm and thrusts out the enemy, giving us the desired victory. “The eternal
God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall
thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.” He is
mightily present in the midst of His people, and will take away every problem or
challenge in our lives. As the King of kings and Lord of lords, He reigns supreme, fulfilling
His purposes in our lives. Like Josiah, whose birth was prophesied centuries before he
was born, our lives are part of a larger narrative, crafted by God's sovereign hand. We
find our purpose by surrendering to the Almighty, our Saviour, Protector and Fulfiller of
all things. As we come to Him, He supplies our needs, takes away obstacles and protects
us. Regardless of age or season, if we submit completely to God, our great Refuge, He
will transform us and fulfil His plans for our lives.

1. EARLY CONVERSION AND CONSECRATION TO GOD, OUR ETERNAL REFUGE

2 Chronicles 34:2-6,8,16,19; Ecclesiastes 12:1-7,13; 1 John 2:14

Early conversion and consecration to God, the eternal Refuge, can spark a lifetime of
impact for His Kingdom. Many saints of old were converted and consecrated early in life
and they became useful in the kingdom of God. Josiah's story is a testament to this truth.
At a young age, he committed to following God's ways, refusing to compromise or turn
back. “He did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the
ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the
left.” Naturally, none can do right in the sight of God without conversion. Depraved
people – young or old – can only do right in the sight of God when they acknowledge their
helplessness, turn from their evil ways and surrender to the Lord completely. Josiah’s
transformation was marked by verbs like “did”, “walked”, “began”, “purge” “brake”,
“cut”, “strowed”, “burnt”, “cleansed” and “repair” – actions that demonstrated his
surrender and submission to God. This shows he was a man of action. If we desire revival
in our lives, we must be willing to expunge from our lives the things that hinder our
relationship with God. Josiah did not just read the book of the law; he acted on it. He took
bold steps to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem, even when those around him were apathetic.
He did not delegate the work to others. Rather, He took necessary steps to get things
done.
God calls us to serve Him in our youth; He wants us to transform our nation and
align with His purposes. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth,
while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I
have no pleasure in them”. We should not allow a day pass without moving closer to
God's will for our lives. We must get something done early in life because time is of
essence. As young people, we should be passionate in serving the Lord and doing His will.
With God on our side, we can achieve success with renewed strength, vision, passion and
focus, and fulfil our divine destiny.

2. EARNEST COMMITMENT AND COVENANT WITH GOD, OUR EVERLASTING

REDEEMER 2 Chronicles 34:31; Hebrews 2:1; Jude 1:3; Acts 2:41-43; Psalm 119:60

Every believer has a unique place, role and assignment in life. Josiah's story reveals the
importance of discovering our purpose and standing firm in our convictions. He made a covenant
with God, committing to walk in His ways and keep His commandments with all his heart and
soul. “And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk
after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his
statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul…” To fulfil our purpose like Josiah, we must
be fervent, devoted and zealous. We must look ahead and take necessary steps that will
transform our lives. “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things
which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” Earnestness means being
aflame with passion and loyalty, separated from evil and falsehood. The early believers in the Old
and New Testaments – young and old – were earnest and committed Christians who contended
“for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints”. Converts in the early Church
were earnest. To be earnest is to come under the apostolic Authority. They also manifested
apostolic Boldness. They boldly, earnestly and passionately accepted every teaching and
doctrine of the apostles. They continued in the apostolic Consecration. Like the apostles, they
gave up all for the gospel. They had apostolic Doctrine. “And they continued stedfastly in
the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” They
did apostolic Exploits. Philip and Stephen were not apostles but they went everywhere preaching
and doing exploits.
They had Faith and faithfulness. Everywhere they went in the name of Jesus, there was
miracle. They experienced apostolic Grace and godliness, as it was in the apostles. They had
apostolic Heart for holiness; apostolic Integrity and incorruptibility. They were unstoppable. They
had apostolic Joy in persecution. They were joyous even in the midst of persecution and trial.
They had apostolic Knowledge for kingdom mysteries. They had Love and loyalty, apostolic
Might, Nurture and nourishment. They took in the word of God and became stronger. They had
apostolic Obedience and occupation, apostolic Purity and power. They had apostolic Quality of
never quitting. They had Righteousness and renewal. As they behold the face of our Lord Jesus
Christ in their daily devotion, they were transformed. They had apostolic Sanctification and
submission. They had Trustworthiness. You can trust them in whatever they were doing. They
had apostolic Uprightness and usefulness. They had apostolic Value and virtue, Weapons and
wonders. They had apostolic Yieldedness and Zeal. Like these believers, the Lord wants us to be
earnest, fervent and prompt in keeping His commandments.

3. ERRING CONFIDENCE WITHOUT COUNSEL FROM GOD, OUR ENDURING ROCK

2 Chronicles 35:20-24; Deuteronomy 33:24-29; Psalm 91:1-16

“And the archers shot at king Josiah… and he died, and was buried in one of the
sepulchres of his fathers”. Josiah's premature death serves as a caution to contemporary
believers. He left his assigned place and engaged in a battle that was not his to fight, going
against Necho, king of Egypt. He was side-tracked and eventually went astray. This led to his
downfall. He was killed because he abandoned the protection of His God, the enduring Rock and
Refuge. Nothing can stop us if we remain under God’s protection. With Him by our side, we will
triumph over the enemy.
As young or old believers, we must learn from Josiah's mistake and remain in our assigned
place, under the shadow of the Almighty, where we are safe and empowered to fulfil the divine
purpose. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my
God; in him will I trust.”
Congregational Songs
GHS: 156, 64 & 60