Refuge
Sometimes the busyness of our lives blurs our vision of God. Add trouble to busyness and they can completely blind us to God’s presence and help. This is the common experience for God’s people. We constantly forget God’s presence or trouble overwhelms our perspective. So the Bible is filled with a call to remember or recall God and His goodness.
Yesterday in Psalm 62, we learned that David struggled because people attacked him. He felt like a “tottering fence.” They also lied about him and seemed to succeed. So David reminds himself of truths about God.
Psalm 62:5-8 (ESV)
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
Wow. You could spend all day in those verses rehearsing God’s character and help. I count 5 descriptions of God; Rock, Salvation, Fortress, Mighty Rock, Refuge (x2). I see 4 specific ways God helps or sustains us. Our hope is from Him. Our salvation rests on Him. Our glory rests on Him. He is a refuge for us. I see 2 commands to us to actively depend on Him. Trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart before Him.
Notice what happened as you read the last 2 paragraphs. Instead of your busyness or trouble dominating your perspective, you’ve begun to focus on God. With a renewed focus on Him, we can take on our troubles with Him.
Notice also that David applies the same strategy he used back in Psalm 42 where he wrote “Why are you cast down O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” He preached to himself. Here he does the same thing. “For God alone, O MY SOUL, wait in silence.” He also reminds himself that the God’s help is not just general but specific for him – He is MY ROCK, MY SALVATION, MY FORTRESS, MY MIGHTY ROCK, MY REFUGE.
So friends, when you have some moments today, remind yourself of God’s character and help for you. Recapture a clear perspective of Him. Then go forward.
“I praise you God for your constant presence and help. You are my rock, my salvation, my fortress, my mighty rock, my refuge. I know this does not mean I can just withdraw from my life and escape all my troubles. But I can pour out my heart to you and trust you with everything. With these reminders, I know you will go with me through whatever I need to go through. Thank you God.”