GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND OUR SALVATION

GOD IS MY REFUGE AND MY SALVATION




Did you ever look
At life styles
From the past
And wonder
HOW people survived


The old WEST
For instance
Or years and years ago
WHEN the wild animals
Roamed the earth


Life was indeed dangerous


“Keep me-O God-for in you
I take REFUGE” Psalm 16:1


But then I stop and think
That the world is NO LESS
Dangerous today


I become disheartened
About where the world
Is heading today


The lying-the deceit-
The violence of people
In today's world


The lack of integrity
The lack of honesty
In today's world
(And I could go on and on)


“TASTE and see
That the Lord
Is good


BLESSED is the one
Who takes REFUGE in him” Psalm 34:8


“EVERY WORD of God
Is flawless


He is a shield
To those
Who take refuge in him” Proverbs 30:5


God is
MY REFUGE AND MY SALVATION


WHO do you run to
In times of trouble
In this world


For me IT'S GOD
And then my FAMILY


We live
In a world
WHERE morality-charitable acts-
And faith and ethical behavior
Seem to be in SHORT SUPPLY


We live
In a world
WHERE terrorists-villainous characters-
Greed-and dishonesty
MAKE all the headlines


BUT we live
In a world
WHERE we have God


We live in a world
Where we have each other


And we live
In a world
Where we still have
THE BIBLE


And because of
ALL of this
We still have HOPE


“Heaven and earth
Will pass away


But my words
WILL NEVER PASS AWAY” Matthew 24:35


And these stories
From Scripture
LIFT ME UP
And give me HOPE


Noah found REFUGE
Because of his faith


Job PERSEVERED IN FAITH
UNTIL his health and livelihood
Were restored


Their SALVATION
Was in the Lord
The SAME
As yours and mine are


Salvation means to be SAVED
Or protected from harm
Or being saved
From a dire situation


Who-BUT GOD-can do this
For us
God and his Son Jesus Christ


“And ALL PEOPLE
Will see GOD'S SALVATION” Luke 3:6
(As written in the book of Isaiah)


Simple but TRUE


GOD IS MY REFUGE-
AND MY SALVATION


Robert P. Wallman
9-11-15




Ps INSPIRED by an article in Living Faith Magazine by Deborah Meister

REMEMBERING THE GOODNESS OF GOD

REMEMBERING THE GOODNESS OF GOD
There is NOTHING more brighter
In my day=than waking up=
And REMEMBERING the GOODNESS
Of God
REMEMBERING all the GOOD God
Has bestowed on me in
This life=including LIFE ITSELF
"PRAISE the Lord-
For the Lord is GOOD=
Sing praise to his name
Which we LOVE"                                                                                     Psalm 135:3
We praise God because
Of the DIVINE GIFTS that
SHOW itself in the many
Gifts and BLESSINGS
We receive each day
Sometimes I think
We become UNAWARE of how much
We in fact=have been BLESSED
We FORGET how much God
Really LOVES US and how he DELIGHTS
In bestowing his GOODNESS
And BLESSINGS upon us
I think maybe today
Might be a GOOD TIME
To REMEMBER the actual BLESSINGS
He has given to us
"However=the Lord your God
Would NOT listen to Balaam
And TURNED the curse
Into a BLESSING for you
Because
The LORD your God
LOVES YOU"                                                                               Deuteronomy 23:5
"The BLESSING of the Lord
Brings wealth
Without painful toil for it"                                                          Proverbs 10:22
"I will make them
And the PLACES
Surrounding my hill
A BLESSING
I will send them
SHOWERS in season
There will be showers
Of BLESSING"                                                                                        EzeKiel 34:26
And THAT is what I think of
WHEN I think of God=
The SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS
In my life
The 40 years of EXTENDED LIFE
That I never expected to have=
The BEAUTIFUL PARENTS=sisters=
EXTENDED family=and friends=God has BLESSED
Me with=and churches
He has PROVIDED for me=LIFE=
Through all of them
I think of HOW God
Has GUIDED ME in the times=
That I have FELT LOST
And I am grateful for
The BEAUTY of the earth=and even
MY eyes=that God has given me
To OBSERVE it
There are SIGNS of GOD'S GOODNESS
All around=and the list could go
On and on
"For the Lord God
Is a SUN and a shield
The Lord BESTOWS favor and honor
No good thing
Does he withhold
From those
Whose WALK is blameless"                                                                 Psalm 84:11
"WHOEVER seeks good=finds favor=
But evil comes to those
Who search for it"                                                                       Proverbs 11:27
My DEAR FRIENDS=REMEMBER=
THE GOODNESS OF GOD
In this world
WHERE do you SEE GOD
In your life?  Where did
You find good?
How does the AWARENESS of
GOD'S GOODNESS AND LOVE
Brighten your day?
My dear friends=WHEREVER you find
GOODNESS during the course of the day=
THERE IS GOD
REMEMBER IT=in the NAME of
Jesus our Lord=and his FATHER=God
Robert P. Wallman
7-7-17
Ps         INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Fr. Kenneth
              Grabner, C.S.C.

MAKE GOD A PRIORITY

MAKE GOD A PRIORITY
(CHANGE=FOR THE BETTER)
WHAT WOULD YOU DO=If Jesus=
Said to you="FOLLOW ME?"
Somehow-when READING and praying
The scriptures=it is easy for us
To IMAGINE us doing just that
In today's gospel=that is EXACTLY
What the gospel writer=Saint Matthew does
"He said to him-'FOLLOW ME'-And he got up
And followed him"                                                                                   Matthew 9:9
And yet somehow-today-
WHEN we read the gospel
When we PRAY
When we feel like
God is ASKING something of us
We DRAG our feet
We resist
And we worry about
How what God is ASKING of us
Is going to INTERFERE
With our own plans
We NEED to Make God
A PRIORITY in our lives
We need to CHANGE for
THE BETTER
We need to LOVE GOD and
Others first=and ourselves second
CAN we really do that?
YES we can really do that
We CAN make God a PRIORITY
In our lives-
Yes we really can
CHANGE for the better
"If you really change your ways
And your ACTIONS-
And deal with each other justly
If you do NOT
Oppress the foreigner-
The fatherless-or the widow
And do NOT shed innocent blood
In this place
And if you do not follow
OTHER gods
To your own harm
........"                                                                                             Jeremiah 7:5-6
YES=the EXTENSION of the
Offer of Jesus to Matthew=
APPLIES to all of us=
"COME FOLLOW ME"
We just need to say YES
To God=yes to Jesus
When we do=we can't help
But become different=we can't HELP
But serving and INFLUENCINING others
And we will CHANGE=
For the BETTER
"We too=
Will SERVE the Lord
Because he is OUR GOD"                                                                    Joshua 24:18
"You my brothers and sisters
Were called to be FREE
But do NOT use your freedom
To indulge the flesh
Rather=SERVE one another=
HUMBLY IN LOVE"                                                                                Galatians 5:13
We CAN make GOD
A PRIORITY=we can
Change FOR THE BETTER
Through each act of SELFLESS LOVE
Our hearts and minds
Become JOINED more closely
To Christ
Dear Lord=we PRAY that you=
Give us the COURAGE
To FOLLOW you more CLOSELY
And let you
CHANGE OUR LIVES
In the NAME of JESUS OUR LORD
Robert P. Wallman
7-6-17

Ps  INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Julia Walsh
       F.S.P.A.
              

FIGHTING THE EVIL IN OUR OWN LIVES

FIGHTING THE EVIL IN OUR LIVES
We ALL have to fight evil
In our lives=it would be GREAT
If were ALL of PURE HEART=
In this world
But UNFORTUNATELY=that is NOT the way
Our world=or our lives work=IS IT?
Jesus CONFRONTED the evil of
His DAY=and was PURE OF HEART=
Pure of mind=and pure of SOUL
He was=HE IS
The most PERFECT being
That ever lived
We TOO have to FIGHT
The DECEIT=the dishonesty=the
IMPURE HEARTS that Jesus faced
"When the poor one
Called out
The Lord HEARD.........."                                                                                                          Psalm 34:7
The fact that Jesus-
DROVE out evil in others-
PERFORMED exorcisms
Is well DOCUMENTED
In the gospels
EVEN those fighting with Jesus
ADMITTED he could drive out demons-
They just questioned
The SOURCE of his power=claiming
It was demonic
"PROCLAIM the power of God
Whose majesty is over Israel
Whose POWER is in the heavens"                                                                                               Psalm 68:34
"The wise PREVAIL
Through GREAT POWER
And those who have knowledge
Muster their STRENGTH"                                                                                                    Proverbs 24:5
"But you will
RECEIVE POWER
When the HOLY SPIRIT
Comes on you
And you WILL be my WITNESSES
In Jerusalem
And in all Judea
And Samaria
And to the ENDS
Of the earth"                                                                                                                          Acts 1:8
Of course=to be PROPER WITNESSES
Of God and Jesus
In this life
We must first DEFEAT
The evil=the dark forces
In our own life=
And BECOME PURE
EASIER said than done
Evil is often HIDDEN=which makes it
More DIFFICULT to get at=
But sometimes it confronts us DIRECTLY
And it is easy to
FEEL OVERWHELMED=and feel like
We are NO MATCH
For the dark forces
But when we CALL on Jesus-
Call on his HOLY NAME=and
Through his SPIRIT
We FIND the strength=the
Power to BATTLE=and even WIN
The war within ourselves
"This is what the Lord
SAYS to you-
'Do NOT be afraid
Or discouraged
Because of this vast army
Fot the BATTLE is
Not yours=BUT GOD'S'"                                                                                                       2 Chronicles 20:15
"Who is the KING OF GLORY?
The Lord strong and mighty
The Lord mighty in BATTLE"                                                                                                  Psalm 24:8
CALL on the NAME OF GOD
The force and POWER of Christ=
And you will WIN-
The battle=the FIGHT
With evil in your own life
JUST AS JESUS DID
Robert P. Wallman
7-5-17

Ps         INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti

FIGHTING THE EVIL IN OUR OWN LIVES

FIGHTING THE EVIL IN OUR LIVES
We ALL have to fight evil
In our lives=it would be GREAT
If were ALL of PURE HEART=
In this world
But UNFORTUNATELY=that is NOT the way
Our world=or our lives work=IS IT?
Jesus CONFRONTED the evil of
His DAY=and was PURE OF HEART=
Pure of mind=and pure of SOUL
He was=HE IS
The most PERFECT being
That ever lived
We TOO have to FIGHT
The DECEIT=the dishonesty=the
IMPURE HEARTS that Jesus faced
"When the poor one
Called out
The Lord HEARD.........."                                                                                                          Psalm 34:7
The fact that Jesus-
DROVE out evil in others-
PERFORMED exorcisms
Is well DOCUMENTED
In the gospels
EVEN those fighting with Jesus
ADMITTED he could drive out demons-
They just questioned
The SOURCE of his power=claiming
It was demonic
"PROCLAIM the power of God
Whose majesty is over Israel
Whose POWER is in the heavens"                                                                                               Psalm 68:34
"The wise PREVAIL
Through GREAT POWER
And those who have knowledge
Muster their STRENGTH"                                                                                                    Proverbs 24:5
"But you will
RECEIVE POWER
When the HOLY SPIRIT
Comes on you
And you WILL be my WITNESSES
In Jerusalem
And in all Judea
And Samaria
And to the ENDS
Of the earth"                                                                                                                          Acts 1:8
Of course=to be PROPER WITNESSES
Of God and Jesus
In this life
We must first DEFEAT
The evil=the dark forces
In our own life=
And BECOME PURE
EASIER said than done
Evil is often HIDDEN=which makes it
More DIFFICULT to get at=
But sometimes it confronts us DIRECTLY
And it is easy to
FEEL OVERWHELMED=and feel like
We are NO MATCH
For the dark forces
But when we CALL on Jesus-
Call on his HOLY NAME=and
Through his SPIRIT
We FIND the strength=the
Power to BATTLE=and even WIN
The war within ourselves
"This is what the Lord
SAYS to you-
'Do NOT be afraid
Or discouraged
Because of this vast army
Fot the BATTLE is
Not yours=BUT GOD'S'"                                                                                                       2 Chronicles 20:15
"Who is the KING OF GLORY?
The Lord strong and mighty
The Lord mighty in BATTLE"                                                                                                  Psalm 24:8
CALL on the NAME OF GOD
The force and POWER of Christ=
And you will WIN-
The battle=the FIGHT
With evil in your own life
JUST AS JESUS DID
Robert P. Wallman
7-5-17

Ps         INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti

A DEEPER AWRENESS OF GOD

A DEEPER AWARENESS OF GOD
Do you HAVE an AWARENESS
Of God in your life?
Are you AWARE that he IS
With you EVERY STEP of
The way?
He walks with you and
TALKS with you all day long
Are you aware ot it?
Are you LISTENING for him?
"........In him you are
BEING built together
Into a dwelling place of God
In the SPIRIT"                                                                                                                       Ephesians 2:22
God WANTS to LIVE in you
Jesus wants to live in you
And they will-if you say "YES"
To their PRESENCE-to their Spirit=
To the HOLY SPIRIT of God and Christ
A DEEPER AWARENESS of God-and-
Christ in our lives
"The master of the servant
Will COME on a day
When he does NOT
Expect him
And at an hour
He is not aware of"                                                                                                                 Matthew 24:50
Be aware of=BE WAITING
For a DEEPER PRESENCE
Of God
You NEVER KNOW how he or when
He will show up
The PRESENCE of God
Is everywhere
"Because of my INTEGRITY
You uphold me
And set me
In your PRESENCE forever"                                                                                                        Psalm 41:12
"You have made KNOWN to me
The PATHS OF LIFE
You will FILL me
With JOY in your presence"                                                                                               Acts 2:28
MOVE yourself CLOSER to God
Be ready
For a DEEPER AWARENESS of God
Move yourself CLOSER=surround yourself
With other GOD-FILLED people
START reading the SCRIPTURES every day
And go to MASS or your CHURCH
Every day=BUILD BRIDGES
With the other faiths
WE are all in this TOGETHER=
RECOGNIZE the ties that bind us
To others=we are in COMMUNITY
With ALL who have been BAPTIZED
We are the BODY of Christ=we
ARE to be in UNITY together=
To bring UNITY to this world
We are all HUMAN
We are all in need
We SHARE this common trait=the
NEED FOR LOVE=the need for UNITY
"How good and
PLEASANT it is
When GOD'S PEOPLE
LIVE together in unity"                                                                                                               Psalm 133:1
"I in them
And you in me
So that they MAY be brought
To COMPLETE UNITY
Then the world
Will KNOW
That you sent me
And have LOVED them
Even as you have LOVED ME"                                                                                                     John 17:23
DEAR FRIENDS=Let us REACH OUT for
A DEEPER PRESENCE OF GOD=and
Christ=in our world
Individually and COLLECTIVELY
So that all of us TOGETHER=
And even the SECULAR world
Can BE AWARE of
THE PRESENCE OF GOD
Robert P. Wallman
7-3-17
Ps         INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Amy Welborn

FOLLOW THE PLAN OF GOD

FOLLOWING THE PLAN OF GOD
I would BE willing to BET-
That you-had a PLAN
For your life
I would also be
WILLING to bet
That the PLAN for your life=
Did NOT go exactly=as planned
The plan of God
Is ALWAYS BETTER than our own
And it is failsafe
It will NOT FAIL
"........
WHOEVER loses his life
For my sake
Will FIND IT"                                                                                                                                   Matthew 10:39
That has been TRUE
Of my life=I FOUND my life
In FOLLOWING God=
Following Jesus
Followint the commandments
Of Jesus
LOVING God-and-
LOVING OTHERS
DON'T WISH your life away
Don't get bogged down
With REALITY=and all
the PROBEMS-it
Throws at you
FOLLOW THE PLAN OF GOD
For your life-
You can conquer=EVERY single problem
Life throws at you
"Do not those who
Plot EVIL go astray?
But those who PLAN
What is GOOD
FIND love and faithfulness"                                                                                                   Proverbs 14:22
"ALL this
COMES from the Lord ALMIGHTY
Whose plan is WONDERFUL
Whose wisdom-
Is magnificent"                                                                                                                      Isaiah 28:29
"In him
We were also CHOSEN
Having been predestined
ACCORDING to the plan
Of him
Who WORKS out everything
In conformity
With the PURPOSE of his will"                                                                                               Ephesians 1:11
IMAGINATION is for
The greater GOOD=just imagine
IF we walked the dusty trails
And roads With Christ
Some 2,000 years ago
TRY to IMAGINE that
DIVINE LIFE=being right beside you
Perhaps=
Even LIVING inside of you
"For since
The CREATION of the world-
His eternal power and DIVINE NATURE-
Have been clearly seen
Being understood
So that PEOPLE
Are without excuse"                                                                                                                  Romans 1:20
Dear friends=GOD has a PLAN
FOLLOW THE PLAN OF GOD
We need to TRUST
Our life to God=
We NEED to follow
His plan
By UNITING our hearts and
Minds with him
We need to HEAR his voice-
And NOT LIMIT our participation-
But FOLLOW HIS PLAN
For our life
In the NAME of Jesus OUR LORD
Robert P. Wallman
7-1-17

Ps         INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Elizabeth Duffy