The place of refuge and training

Sunday Sermon with Apostle Chisale

GREETINGS beloved nation.

We see David in the book of Psalms speaking about God as his refuge and strength, his place of hiding. David is a man who learnt to depend on God because he had many enemies. So he found God and the presence of God as a place of hiding.

Not only that but also a place of training. His background was not favourable to him. He had been despised and not even recognised by his own family.

That on its own made David a great warrior because you cannot hide in God and come out the same, being timid, a weakling or being weak.

Let me talk to people who have been mistreated and looked down upon. They have called you many names because of your background and where you are coming from.

We are living in a world where you are given your CV because of your background, where you are coming from, where you went to school, the university you attended and the degrees you have attained.

We thank God that he doesn’t lift us because of our background. I am not saying backgrounds are not important. But I am saying stop despising yourself because of your background and stop lifting yourself because of your background.

The Bible says if you humble yourself before the Lord he will lift you.
When we read in the book of Judges 11:1, we are told a story about a man called Jephthah. We see his half-brothers and the council of Gilead chasing him away because his mother was a prostitute.

That’s how people treat us. Because of the person who gave birth to you, that’s what they look at.

They chased him away because they didn’t want him to have a share in the inheritance. Judges 11:2 says, “Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, ‘You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.’”

In verse 3 it says, “Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob, and worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.”

You know when people begin to dislike you, they will block you, they will chase you out, and they will reject you. But this young man fled to Tob. Tob was a backcountry used by outlaws as a place of refuge. So this is a place that was used by people who were being mistreated by society.

The word “tob” means, good, whole’, fruitful’ and beautiful. I see this place as a place of prayer. A place where you can run to when your background doesn’t favour you.

We see Jephthah’s men are coming to join him and become mighty men. I pray that God may begin to train you and you become mighty in every area of your life. Jesus himself was rejected by his own.

May the rejection turn you into a mighty person. May it not turn you to be bitter, angry or suicidal. There are people who have been rejected and they are just filled with anger.

They are angry with everyone. Some have been rejected by their boyfriends, husbands, and wives. When they see a man they see a dog, some when they see a woman they see a prostitute.

Refuse that rejection, it will not make you become negative and stop the potential God has released in your life. May the spirit of Tob, of beauty, of fruitfulness and goodness be attracted to you.

In Matthew 21:42 it says, Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing, And it is marvellous in our eyes. We see in this scripture that the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. It’s talking about Jesus, which they want to build but they are rejecting a stone that will become a cornerstone. Whosoever has rejected you, it might be at work, in our relationships, families, organisations, I prophesy that may you become a cornerstone. Everyone when they look at you, may they say, “Look at what the lord is doing, it is amazing in our eyes”.

In 1 Samuel 16:11 the Bible says, And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.”

You see in the life of David he was even forsaken but God identified him. He is the same man who actually wrote in the book of Psalms, “if my father and mother forsake me, the lord will take me in”. You may be forsaken but the Lord is taking you into plans and purposes. In Judges 11:4 the Bible says there was war in the land of Israel. In verse 5 it tells us that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
May God bless you all.

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