"Our Holy Place"

"The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah." (Psalms 46:11) Maybe it's just me, but if you have ever played Craps, then you might get the whole 7 and 11 connection between verse seven and this verse today. Here is the thing about God being our "refuge", in that He is the refuge for those that honestly seek for Him to be that refuge, in the sense of "Our Holy Place" where we can enter into and find refuge like none other. Leave your bags at the door, because God wants all of your heart to want Him; all of your heart means that you serious about needing Him to fix your brokenness, and to change your heart into something that yearns for Him. If you betting on a different set of circumstances, then all bets are off, and those magic numbers do not actually work for you as they should. It's not just about our security for when we die, there is security now in this place of death and destruction, but it requires the desire within us to be holy, as He is Holy. And when I am talking about security, I don't mean just the thought of God's protection from those things which might come against our soul, but I am talking about a living stronghold that is free from doubt and confusion. It requires a pure heart to find pure security in the Lord! All that really means is that we honestly want to be changed; which then only requires that we say, "Not my will, but Thine!" But instead, we are apt to say things like, "Change the way that I treat others, but don't change my love for You, because I still have some things that I want to hold onto". Of course we don't actually say that, but our actions speak louder than our words; besides that, God sees our heart, and He already knows what our intentions are, far before we even know them ourselves... "This is how the LORD responds: "If you return to Me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve Me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be My spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you! They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall of bronze. They will not conquer you, for I am with you to protect and rescue you. I, the LORD, have spoken! Yes, I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men. I will rescue you from their cruel hands." (Jeremiah 15:19-21 NLT)