Psalm 5:8 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
I was recently reading a book of King Arthur tales. There was a part of the story where Sir Lancelot had to run from King Arthur. Lancelot took his men and made their way to a castle he had. Arthur was a very dangerous enemy to have, but Lancelot was not overly concerned because the castle he went to was superior. It was so well-built that it could be defended from attack indefinitely. It was also able to sustain them in case of a long siege. Because of the superiority of that castle, Lancelot was leading a very low-stress existence in what would otherwise be a very high-stress situation.
I can’t remember the last time an armored company came after me! In that respect, I live a pretty boring life. Probably the same with you. But we do have reasons to seek refuge. Many people seek refuge in all sorts of ways, but so often they find that those ‘castles’ didn’t live up to expectation. They didn’t provide the protection from the problem. They only offered to camouflage the problem briefly. That’s no help. We don’t need an anesthetic, but a cure!
David has a better solution: take refuge in God! If we do that we can be glad and even sing for joy. When I hide in Him, I can be confident that I am secure. God won’t just keep an eye on the defenses, He is the defenses! Nothing will breach the wall when God is my refuge. With His protection spread over me like a warm blanket, I can be safe, warm, and at peace. I won’t have to pretend there’s no problem, I’ll just be safe inside my refuge!
The more I come to know God, the more I can rejoice in Him. He is the God Who Pro-vides. He is God My Shield. He is God My Deliverer. He is God Almighty! When I know His name(s), I know I am held safely. Nothing will come through those walls that He has not allowed. He is ready to defend and able to help me. That’s why Martin Luther wrote,
A Mighty Fortress is our God
A Bulwark never failing
Our Helper He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
Blessings,
Pastor Russ
