Oh God My Refuge

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Scripture: Psalm 31-1-5 (NIV)

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.

3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,

for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,

for you are my refuge.

5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;

deliver me, Lord, my faithful God

 

Devotion:

            Today’s psalm encourages us to run to God for protection. In the world there are many threats that come at us from all angles. Threats to our jobs and livelihood. Threats to our health and safety seem to abound everywhere. Violence seems to break out at every corner. What can a person do? Carrying a gun seems like a good idea to some. Learning a martial art seems wise to others. The psalmist turns to God for his safety. While God may not seem like the safest place to be in the storms that are overtaking our country the scripture points us in that direction.

            In our culture and time Christians may seem like homeless people. The forms of church and religious practice that seemed so secure just a few decades ago have been aggressively challenged by our culture and the average Christian in the pew seems unwilling or unable to respond this critique. Therefore, the church has shrunk numerically. Those who claim no religious affiliation are now the fastest growing subset of the religious landscape. The church does not appear to be a safe refuge in today’s society.

            Indeed, in Jesus own day he was allowed to be tortured and killed on a Roman cross. If Jesus was the Son of God, shouldn’t he be able to prove it by maintaining His own life? The answer is that his death was for our eternal life. His resurrection ended the fear of death on the part of His followers. By Jesus sacrificial death on the cross and subsequent resurrection from the grave the great enemy of humanity Satan has been permanently defeated. Death while terrible to go through is now just an entryway into heaven.

            We can have faith and hope in the future with God in heaven no matter what trials and tribulations we must go through on this earth. As the Psalmist ends psalm 31 let us rejoice along with him in the hope of our deliverance. (Psalm 31:23-24 NIV)

 

23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!

The Lord preserves those who are true to him,

but the proud he pays back in full.

24 Be strong and take heart,

all you who hope in the Lord.

 

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