24 Oct Taking Refuge in the Father’s Love

First let me begin with a wonderful principle that I learned many years ago that has radically changed my life that I learned from Mike Bickle.

It’s called the behold, transform and become principle.

2 Cor. 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

When we behold (study, meditate on) the Fathers love, through His Word, by revelation, by listening to teaching, worship, etc…it transforms my thinking, renews my mind to the biblical truths, it transforms old religious mindsets, it breaks off hindrances to receiving a His love and awakens my heart to new and fresh realities in God and then when it transforms us…we become what we have payed the price to behold. As in the Fathers love.

And this principle works for any area in Scripture, healing, deliverance, blessing, etc.

So we have within us right now the level of transformation and “becoming” to the level we have beheld the Lord. This is why so many are frustrated with their walk with God. Well…what are you beholding? How long have you beheld Him in an area of your life?

This is not casual Christianity. This is our life! Every day!

Taking refuge in Father’s love:

Father God is your refuge and shelter and you can always and forever trust in His love.

Whenever we run to God or run into God, we run into love.

1 John 4:16 says, “And so we know and RELY (believe and trust in) on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”

God IS love, not simply does He love, but He is the very essence and creator of love.

Therefore everything He does and says comes out of love…even the way He discipline us is out of love.

Psalms 46

 1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Psalms 91

 1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” 3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler[a] And from the perilous pestilence. 4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. 8 Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12 In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

Every single one of us has something in common. We want to be loved. Remember that we are made in the image and likeness of God and God IS love. Therefore within each of is the longing to feel deep, satisfying love.

It’s a love so rich, so deep, real and powerful that there is nothing in our lives that can satisfy this longing within our hearts but God. Not money, career, spouse, children…nothing but God can fill that deepest place within us.

A large part of staying free from sin is taking refuge in love. His love is greater than ANYTHING this world has to offer…it’s the temporary satisfaction of sin that dupes us into believing in what it has to offer when in the end it always leaves us broken, hurting and longing for something else…something more. And it’s living in His love that’s the answer. Of course part of love is having the confidence in saying NO to sin and yes to God.

To take refuge in God’s love, is to be like a little child that with abandoned heart, completely trusts His Dad and Mom.

Father’s love is not just His emotional response to us reaching out to Him, but God loves us the same way that God loves God! “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” (Jn. 15:9) Abide in love: To abide in love means to continually live in it. This requires that we focus on living in God’s love. Every single day beholding His love, going deeper in His love and therefore living out of love.

When God wants to empower us to love Him, He reveals Himself as One who loves us. We will only love God to the measure that we see that He loves us. It is the core truth that transforms us. We love Him because [we understand that] He first loved us. (1 Jn. 4:19) Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus… (Jude 21).

Live loved!!!!!!!

When we take refuge and live out of Fathers love: it transform us. It cause us to run to God and not from God in our weakness. It give us a God affection for the people of the world it open our hearts to the deep things of God It drowns out the cares of this world It sets us up to experience the supernatural It develops within us an inner strength to live free in God And it gives every believer the right to view themselves as “God’s favorite.”

If we don’t understand or encounter His love, we risk misunderstanding the very heart of God for us.

And Fathers love is meant to be encountered and enjoyed every single day!

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you!

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV

We will never exhaust the vast ocean of God’s love, but will forever experience new aspects of it.

Like John the Beloved, we lean back into Jesus when we have questions, when we need to feel loved, when we are weary, dry and hurting, when we just need to be held by love. This is how we take refuge in His love.

And Jesus Himself when He would get alone and pray, He was not just praying for His Fathers will to be done, or praying for His disciples, He was also basking in His Fathers love!

““As the Father has loved me………..so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain……in his love.” John 15:9-10 NIV