Dennis Edwards
Psalm 62:8 Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. (KJV)
In times of uncertainty, we get anxious. The psalmist is calling us to come before the Lord in prayer and pour out our hearts before Him. The Lord is our refuge, our secret place, our hiding place from the storms of life. Many podcasters are saying that the present year will be a year of testing, of chaos, of great change. As a results of their words and what we may watch on the News, and perhaps because of our personal experience and situation, we may be feeling anxious and worried about the future. We long for a refuge from the problems that seem to be looming like dark clouds on the horizon. The psalmist is reminding us that God is our true refuge in times of trouble. He is also reminding us to pour out our hearts before the Lord, to seek Him with all our heart, mind, and soul.
In his letter to the Philippians, Apostle Paul gives a similar solution to finding that perfect refuge in the Lord. Are you anxious? Pour out your heart to the Lord.
Philippians 4:6-9 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (NIV)
Ultimately the refuge that we seek is the peace of heart and mind that God is with us and will keep us and protect us from evil, especially when it seems the world could fall apart at any moment. Let us review some of the promises from God’s word that assure us He is in deed with those that come unto Him with all their heart, soul, body, mind, and spirit.
Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (NIV)
No matter if we are in the midst of a Tsunami or tidal-wave, God promises to be present and a refuge and strength to His children. Many times in the psalms, the psalmist calls the Lord his refuge and, or his hiding place.
Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. (NIV)
Psalm 36:7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. (KJV)
Psalm 57:1-3 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusts in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
Psalm 59:16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. (KJV)
Psalm 71:3 Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. (NIV)
Psalm 119:114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. (NIV)
Psalm 91:1-10 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely, he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. 9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. (NIV)
God’s promises of deliverance and protection are expedient on our walking closely with Him. Psalm 91 has beautiful promises of protection. At the end of the psalm, the voice of the Lord breaks through and tells why He protects His children.
Psalm 91:14-15 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (NIV)
We have to practice coming unto the Lord in prayer and supplication. We have to follow closely His voice and His commandments and His admonitions. If we do so, we can have total confidence that God will be with us in times of trouble. In Proverbs we read,
Proverbs 3:1-2, 21-26 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee…21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: 22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. 23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. 24 When thou lie down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes. 26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. (KJV)
Isaiah 25:1 & 4 O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth…4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. (KJV)
Psalm 9:9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knows them that trust in him. (KJV)
Isaiah 26:3, 8-9 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee…8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. (KJV)
Ultimately, the peace and safety we seek is an inner peace. The Lord promises to be that inner peace to those who keep their minds and hearts on Him and walk close by His side. When God judgments begin to fall, men will begin to seek the Lord and learn the path of salvation found in the love and truth of Jesus.
Psalm 61:1-5 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. 2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. 4 I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. 5 For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. (NIV)
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is safe. (KJV)
We have gone over a few of the promises in God’s Word showing that the Lord will be our refuge in the day of trouble. In the book of Revelation, God promises to the church of Philadelphia, which means in the Greek, the church of brotherly love, a special blessing:
Revelation 3:10-11 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man takes thy crown. (KJV)
God promises to keep His children, even if they have little strength, because they have kept His Word, not denied His Name, and walked in brotherly love one for another. Jesus said,
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, (or in other words be encouraged); I have overcome the world. (KJV)
Jesus has promised to be with us even to the end of the world. Apostle Paul has reminded us that nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from love of God which we find in Jesus. The only thing that can separate us from God is our refusal to accept His love and recognise our dependence on Him. Our sins can separate us from God. But if we confess our sins, and change from our bad behaviour, God is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Therefore, let us not fear or be dismayed, for God has promised to strengthen us, and uphold us with the right hand of His righteousness. We are not to fear, for He will help us. He is that refuge that we seek, and He promises His peace will be upon us. Pour out your heart before Him and ye shall find Him.
Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (KJV)
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ (our Lord). (KJV)
They that fear the Lord and walk in His commandments shall have that place of refuge He has promised for His children.
Matthew 28:20b And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
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