God Wants to Be Our Refuge. (Psalm 31: 1-5, 15-16)
Preacher Harold Camping would have advised me not to waste my time preparing this message. Camping has been predicting since the year 2005 that May 21, 2011 was the exact date that Jesus would return and the righteous would fly up to heaven. That was yesterday. Doomsday preachers come and go, but the 90-year old Camping managed to ignite a nationwide movement that garnered widespread attention. When asked whether he might be wrong, Camping said “I do not even think about that possibility because I am trusting the Bible implicitly”.
How do we go about trusting the Bible, a book that does contain mysteries and is open to interpretation? There are guideposts. When God wants to make a point, he has handled it in one of two ways. In some cases, it is communicated explicitly in a passage and in a manner that should be hard to misunderstand. On the issue of when Jesus will return, Christ himself said “No one knows, when that day or hour will come – neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son; only the Father knows”. Those enthralled with biblical numerology, take note. In other instances, a theme appears so frequently throughout Scripture that it is difficult for us to miss it.
Take, for example, God’s promise to be with us when we experience troubles, hardship, loss. His pledge to help us when we are hurting, to rebuild broken lives, to transform defeats into triumphs. These acts are among God’s specialties. Throughout the Bible, and especially in Psalms, we meet people who are facing difficulties. But there is also a clear and repeated pattern in which trials and tribulations are followed by victory and greatness.
· Before Abraham became the father of many nations, he and Sarah were childless.
· Before Joseph ruled Egypt, he was thrown in a pit, sold into slavery and falsely imprisoned.
· Before Job’s estate was doubled, he lost everything, including his family, his fortune and his future.
· Before Moses became the great deliverer, he lost his position, his possessions and his popularity.
· Before Joshua conquered the Promised Land, he went through the wilderness.
· Before Samson crushed the Philistines, he was blinded and bound.
· Before David became king, he was renounced by his family, ridiculed by his foes and rejected by his friends.
· Before Hosea became a powerful spokesperson for God, his wife betrayed him.
· Before Paul brought the Gospel to the Gentiles, he was blinded on the Damascus road.
· And, of course, before Jesus was resurrected, he was betrayed, tried, tortured, humiliated and subjected to the most inhumane form of capital punishment ever conceived by human beings.
We all live as if things will always be stable. But life is not normal for very long. The children of God are not spared adversity. We all go through seasons of trouble. There is no such thing as a charmed life. The main character in Philip Roth’s gripping novel, American Pastoral, had everything going for him: Swede Levov was a high school sports hero and local idol who married Miss New Jersey, inherited his father’s glove business, made millions, enjoyed an idyllic home of his dreams, and was blessed with a bright and engaging daughter. Then everything fell apart in one of the worst nightmares a parent can imagine, all rooted in some of the darkest features of the political turmoil of the 1960s. The abstract musical, Songs for a New World, touches on the same theme: those moments in life when everything seems perfect and then suddenly disaster strikes in the form of the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, the death of a loved one in illness or war, the end of a marriage, the break-up of a relationship.
Our reassurance is that God wants to be with us, go with us, deliver us from any struggle or crisis in which we find ourselves, fix any brokenness that ails us, help us to regroup. What must we do to help God do his work on our behalf? The writer of Psalm 31 lays it out. First, we must seek reliance on God. “I come to you, Lord, for protection,” the psalmist pleas. “Be my refuge to protect me; my defense to save me. I place myself in your care”. What is meant by “refuge”? A refuge is a place to which we turn for shelter, something we trust to protect us. A source of relief, help or assistance. The psalmist says that it is God in which he has taken refuge. We can too -- simply by asking God for his help. God wants us to ask more than any of us can realize. Second, we must establish a relationship with God. In the third verse, the psalmist declares “You are my refuge and defense; guide me and lead me as you have promised”. Note the subtle change in wording from the previous verses that I read. The psalmist has moved from requesting that God be his solid rock to declaring that he has now become his solid rock. This is what happens when we reach out to God. You are guaranteed a response. You will hear from him. Third, there must be a realization of, and appreciation for, what God does for you. “I am always in your care; look on your servant with kindness,” acknowledges the psalmist. God looks forward to receiving our thanks and our praise for the blessings he bestows upon us.
Several years ago, I attended a retreat in a wooded area. I walked out of my cottage early in the morning and spotted a deer with its fawn about 20 feet in front of me. We looked at each other in a startled manner -- then, in an instant, the two animals vanished. Unlike the elusive deer, God is always there and will reveal himself when you seek him out. The moment may pass, but not his encouragement, power and wisdom. How do know that you are in his presence? It is good to have a designated, quiet spot where you can have your communion with him. Although it is wonderful to “feel” his presence, the most important thing is to put your focus on him. The method you use is immaterial. God shows up whether you are in the midst of praying, praising, meditating, singing or ministering to the needs of others.
No matter what circumstances you encounter, no matter what turmoil and uncertainty you are facing, you can be assured that God will be there to strengthen you, to guide you in your life, to fill you with hope. Look upon him and shine with his glory regardless how broken you may feel. God thinks well of you. Think well of yourself.
If anyone feels moved to offer personal testimony about how God has worked in your life to help you overcome hardships or difficulties, please feel free to share them as we enter the moment of contemplation.
