To know the peace of refuge we must pour out our hearts to

God.
The second practical step is to move from silence to spilling it all out to God. Read
Psalm 62:8. In this verse, God invites us to explain to him what it is thats vexing
us so. The passwords that open the gates into the refuge of God are the words that
flow out of our hearts when we finally decide to trust God. When we tell him how
bad it is, how weary we are, how hopeless weve become, how discouraging our
situation really is, its as if the password hits the heart of God and the gates open
and the wings extend. There is nothing like feeling the gates open and taking
refuge under his extended wings.
The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah was called as a young man. God said, Be
my spokesperson to the nations. Jeremiah was a little tentative about it, but God
said, Ill be with you. Ill give you words; Ill give you protection.
So Jeremiah spoke the words of God, but everywhere he turned he found
resistance from the rulers, the priests, and the people. There came a point when
people got sick of him speaking Gods words, and they beat him mercilessly. They
put him in stocks by the city gate so people could laugh at him all day long. When
he was finally released from those stocks, Jeremiah desperately needed a refuge.
Jeremiah poured his heart out to God, and it was messy. Read Jeremiah 20:718.
You have to be pretty blue to say, I hate my birthday. I hate my mother. I hate the
guy who passed out cigars saying, Its a boy.
He poured his hear out to God. When he did that, his words were the password.
The gates of the city of refuge opened, the wings extended, and God brought him
underneath his protective care. In the midst of this passage, Jeremiah said, The
Lord is with me. My persecutors will not prevail. I will not be forgotten. Sing to
the Lord. Praise his name. He has delivered the soul of a needy one from the hand
of evildoers.
What changed? The next day he would speak the same words to the same resistant
crowd. But he did it with the renewed strength, perspective, and hope that come
from being sheltered for a time.

[Q] Why is honesty with God so essential to finding refuge in him?

Leaders Note: God cannot deal with emotions that we dont
acknowledge. Until we get everything on the table, we dont even know
what we need to give to God or how to rely on him as our refuge.

[Q] Were you shocked by Jeremiahs complaint to God? Why or why not?
[Q] What would have happened if Jeremiah had not been honest with God?
How might it have affected his future ministry?