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Refreshment in Refuge

    by Gina Burgess

I will bring sweet Victory
Date Posted: May 1, 2022

I found an old faded copy of something that is almost illegible and has the number 46 at the bottom of it. I have no idea where it came from or who wrote it but it is an amazing piece of prose. Update: A dear friend sent me a message of where to go to find the author. It was written by Frances J. Roberts. Thank you, Peter for helping me with this!

Oh my child, have I ever failed thee? Have I ever turned my back on thee? Is the way it starts out. God has never, ever failed me, or forsaken me and has never turned His back on me. That is something that I cannot say about any one human being. I know I’ve said this before, but it is so true. At some point in time every friend or person that I have ever trusted has let me down in some way, and I’m sure you can say the same thing because there was only one Jesus.

That is the best blessing we could ever have from God because recognizing human frailties forces us to always lean most heavily on God. Frankly, I am a needy person. One thing that is so amazing about God, it is impossible to be too needy for Him to care for us. He is always there. He's healed me, He's tucked me in His arms and carried me. He's corrected my gaffs and worked on my flaws without complaining. I know, when He is around, His Spirit takes over. Yet, it is so very easy to take back the reins and take back the problems in a futile effort to fix them because He doesn’t seem to be working on the problem or He isn’t working fast enough to suit us. Amen?

He says, ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened to you. What a wonderful gift that is to His children. How can we not be so bowed down with awe and worship? How can e not leap and dance with joy? It is because we are allowing the world to encroach upon our relationship with the Most Holy God. Perhaps it is because we are not allowing Jesus to be LORD of our minds and our will.

The piece ends with:
Ask for the victory. I will come and bring it. Don't look for the victory--look for Me, and ye shall see the victory that I shall bring with me. After I have come, ye shall behold the miracles that I will do.

Just how do we do that?

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD rejoices over you. He will quiet you with His love. Or as The Message puts it, Your GOD is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he'll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.

However, there is some definite participation in this joyous victory that we must do if we are to fully partake of the marvelous feast. So let’s carry on this analogy and see what happens.

I ran across this wonderful tidbit from Cindy Townsend who is Louisiana's Women's Missions Director at Louisiana Baptist Convention. I took these notes back on February 8,2003 at a women’s conference, but it is hearty fare for all Christians. Her bullet points:


1. Trim away selfishness...Colossians 3:5,9,10 put to death earthly desires. Take 40 days and trim away the fat of selfishness and put in its place God's Word.

2. Marinate me in You and Your Word so that I am not recognized but only You are recognized.

3. Sprinkle every relationship with Your love. Help me to be as devoted to others as You are.

4. Sift through my desires to hold to the things of this world loosely.

5. Stir my heart to follow You in obedience and also to have faith and trust in You in abundance. (What comes is joy in the journey. He will make straight my path.)

6. Season my words with wisdom. Ephesians 4:29-30. May only that which is pleasing to You come out of my mouth. (This is about the 15th time I've heard this lately, ya think God is trying to tell me something?)

7. Serve You, Lord, with glory, for You alone are worthy. My story for Your glory.

I can’t help but pray, Come in and dine with me, Lord, just help Yourself to my stuff. Your ministry takes place where your resources meet human needs me and others like me specifically to your glory. Lord help Yourself to the Kitchen of my Life... toss the rubbish and let's dine on gourmet meals.

Listen! Do you hear Him? “And for dessert, I will bring sweet Victory.”

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Biography Information:

Gina Burgess has taught Sunday School and Discipleship Training for almost three decades. (Don't tell her that makes her old.) She earned her Master's in Communication in 2013.

She is the author of several books including: When Christians Hurt Christians, The Crowns of the Believers and others available in online bookstores. She authors several columns, using her God-given talent to shine a light in a dark world. You can browse her blog at Refreshment In Refuge.

If you'd like to take a look at some Christian fiction and Christian non-fiction book reviews check out Gina's book reviews at Upon

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