Everyone needs a refuge at sometime, where is yours?
I listened to Ian White singing Psalm 31 today and posted it on our Facebook page earlier. Doing a simple search on Bible Gateway, the word ‘Refuge’ is mentioned 24 times in the Psalms and I see it occurs in the first verse 7 times.
The word Refuge can mean – a shelter, protection, safe haven, safe house, hiding place (Corrie Ten boom’s book The Hiding Place, for protecting Jewish people under Nazi German rule).
Refuge also has particular connotations in our day, such as a Refuge for abused women and children suffering under domestic violence. We also now have ‘Tech Abuse’, people who are being horribly maligned online, with terrible results.
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 IN YOU, LORD, I HAVE TAKEN REFUGE;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me. Psalm 31
David’s opening words in this psalm reveal a desperate need for God as his Refuge. Ian White’s wonderful version of this psalm begins with the last verse;
24 Be strong, take courage in your heart,
all of you whose hope is in the Lord.
But the psalm begins with God as David’s Refuge.
A shiggaion of David …
1 Lord my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion
and rip me to pieces WITH NO ONE TO RESCUE ME. Psalm 7
GOD WASN’T David’s last resort, but he knew there was nobody else coming to his aid. Many times we are in this position, we can only trust in the Lord.
For the director of music. Of David.
1 IN THE LORD I TAKE REFUGE.
How then can you say to me:
‘Flee like a bird to your mountain.
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
at the upright in heart.
3 WHEN THE FOUNDATIONS ARE BEING DESTROYED,
WHAT CAN THE RIGHTEOUS DO?’ Psalm 11
There’s been major destruction of the foundations in our own society today, but God is working to uncover those responsible and bring them to account. David felt overwhelmed at times by the situations he found himself facing, but he turned to God as his Refuge and found rest and comfort. GOD IS FAITHFUL.
A miktam of David.
1 Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I TAKE REFUGE.
2 I SAY to the Lord, ‘YOU ARE MY LORD;
APART FROM YOU I HAVE NO GOOD THING.’ Psalm 16
Verse 2 is a good place to end today, David in times of trouble looked to the Lord, He was David’s source for everything in his life.
God bless and keep you today.