Devotional: Take Refuge

Date: February 13, 2008

Devotional: Take Refuge

Scripture: Psalm 62:5-8

My soul, wait thou only upon God;

For my expectation is from him.

He only is my rock and salvation:

He is my defence; I shall not be moved.

In God is my salvation and my glory:

The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

Trust in him at all times; ye people,

Pour out your heart before him:

God is a refuge for us.

PSALM 62:5-8

Storms are a part of life. Everyone has been faced with a storm at some point in their lives. Just as a person caught in a rainstorm is happy when he or she has found shelter to keep safe until the storm has passed, happy and at peace is a person who finds refuge (shelter or comfort) in God when faced with trials and tribulations.

People often think they are prepared for the storms that come their way, but then the storms become more severe than they anticipated. It is at this point people find themselves looking for an answer or a way out…the only sure way out is turning to God and taking refuge.

David wrote many psalms…he was the “sweet psalmist of Israel”. In chapter 62 of Psalm, it clearly urges silent confidence in the victory of God over all enemies because salvation is found only in Him. David declared his complete dependence on God.  He expressed silent resignation before the sovereign will of the living God.

We must learn to run to God for safety. In the book of Hebrews 6:17-18 it says:

Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.

The two immutable things are God’s Word and God’s oath. Since God does not lie and since He is all-powerful, He will fulfill all His promises. This unchanging nature of God is a Christian’s consolation and encouragement.

We are shielded by God’s power. In I Peter 1:3-5, it states:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Our salvation is grounded in God’s mercy, His act of compassion toward us despite our condition of sinfulness. God has given Christians a new, spiritual life that enables us to live in an entirely different dimension than the one our physical birth allowed.

Hope is a dynamic confidence that does not end with this life but continues throughout eternity. God has already determined what we will one day experience in its totality. God has set aside in heaven a wonderful inheritance that is waiting for us even now.

God keeps His people safe from external attack and safe within the protective boundaries of His kingdom. We do not now see or understand fully the salvation that God has prepared for us, but one day we will.

We should thank the Lord for providing a safe haven for us. We should be glad to have Him as our spiritual shelter. Our souls will never be in jeopardy as long as we take refuge in Him.