God is our SAFEST REFUGE during LIFE’s STORMS!

 

June 9 Bible Reading: Psalms Chapters 18-22

God is our SAFEST REFUGE during LIFE’s STORMS!

"I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears." (Psalms 18:1-3, 6)

Psalm 18 is almost identical to 2 Samuel 22, which is attributed to King David. This psalm is a royal song of thanksgiving that rehearses God’s deliverance of David from all his enemies. This psalm was probably written toward the end of David’s reign and constitutes a praise song for all of God’s deliverances through the years. This psalm includes a declaration of David’s love and trust in the Lord (vv. 1–3) followed by a narrative of his deliverance by the Lord (vv. 4–19). This psalm has a highly poetic and vivid way of describing the fact that the God of Israel intervened in history on David’s behalf!

As if he cannot find sufficient expression to indicate his love for God, David engages in a lively series of epithets for the Lord. The Lord is a dwelling place among the crags, and a fortified, though natural stronghold (Psalms 144:2). God is not just an inanimate defense, but a living protector. Through these epithets we can note for God starts as a rock beneath our feet and ends with the high tower above our heads. Those who trust in the Lord are equipped with God’s provision and protection from head to toe!

God saved David, protected him, and strengthened him when Saul and his men were out to kill him through the many years of his life in the wilderness. Those had been stormy years for David, yet God rescued him and upheld His dedicated servant. David had obeyed God’s Word and accomplished God’s will, so God rewarded him by being his protector and refuge!

When the storms come in our lives, let us always remember that God is greater than the storms and will help us see the rainbow in the end. When we have a crisis in our lives, it is comforting to know that we have the strongest ally possible. When the world around us is crumbling, God is the safe rock where we will find refuge. There is no greater help for us in our time of need than God. God alone can carry us through the trials and crisis of our lives, and He will never forsake us as He has promised (Heb. 13:5).

The famous English poet Augustus Toplady found a cleft of a rock as his shelter during a great storm in the English countryside. It was after this incident that he wrote the famous song “Rock of Ages” that talk about God’s help during the storms of life. We too can find shelter and assurance in God who will protect us during the storms of life. God alone is our safest refuge spot that we can shelter at all times!

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling." (Psalms 46:1-3)