1. shelter or protection from danger or distress
2. a place that provides shelter or protection
3. something to which one has recourse in difficulty
I read through the Psalms the first six months of 2013. Roughly two weeks ago, I began reading through it again. As of today, I've read up to Psalm 18. In those eighteen psalms, refuge comes up a lot.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him (2:12)
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice (5:11)
O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge (7:1)
In the Lord I take refuge (11:1)
You would shame the plans of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge (14:7)
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge (16:1)
Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior, of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand (17:7)
The Lord is my rock and fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge (18:2)
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him (18:30)
That's nine verses in eighteen chapters. Simple math tells me nearly half of the first eighteen psalms present God as the refuge for His people. And I left out those passages which use words like shield (i.e. 3:3), stronghold (i.e. 9:9) or rock (i.e. 18:31) to convey the same idea. Those additions would boost the number close to sixty percent.
This tells me God as my refuge is something I need to grasp hold of. And this does not isolate it to those time of danger or distress as Webster so clearly articulated. God is as much a refuge in times of peace and prosperity as He is in times of chaos and struggle.
I am trying to learn this very lesson. The past semester was a whirlwind of distress that actually took on a physical manifestation from late March to early May. In those times, I found myself following the advice given by the psalmists. I went to my refuge. I found strength and protection when I had none.
Now life is far easier. Sure I am busy, but I do not sense the same distress. And therefore I am not as aware of my need for refuge. In fact, I have found myself aimlessly drifting. My refuge remains in sight, but I am not coming back to it very often. I am satisfied on the fringes, when I should be relishing in the innermost parts.
Maybe life is not as easy as I thought. Maybe there is a bit of distress still lingering. Whatever the case, I need to seek out my refuge, and taste the blessings of His protection.
2. a place that provides shelter or protection
3. something to which one has recourse in difficulty
I read through the Psalms the first six months of 2013. Roughly two weeks ago, I began reading through it again. As of today, I've read up to Psalm 18. In those eighteen psalms, refuge comes up a lot.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him (2:12)
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice (5:11)
O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge (7:1)
In the Lord I take refuge (11:1)
You would shame the plans of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge (14:7)
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge (16:1)
Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior, of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand (17:7)
The Lord is my rock and fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge (18:2)
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him (18:30)
That's nine verses in eighteen chapters. Simple math tells me nearly half of the first eighteen psalms present God as the refuge for His people. And I left out those passages which use words like shield (i.e. 3:3), stronghold (i.e. 9:9) or rock (i.e. 18:31) to convey the same idea. Those additions would boost the number close to sixty percent.
This tells me God as my refuge is something I need to grasp hold of. And this does not isolate it to those time of danger or distress as Webster so clearly articulated. God is as much a refuge in times of peace and prosperity as He is in times of chaos and struggle.
I am trying to learn this very lesson. The past semester was a whirlwind of distress that actually took on a physical manifestation from late March to early May. In those times, I found myself following the advice given by the psalmists. I went to my refuge. I found strength and protection when I had none.
Now life is far easier. Sure I am busy, but I do not sense the same distress. And therefore I am not as aware of my need for refuge. In fact, I have found myself aimlessly drifting. My refuge remains in sight, but I am not coming back to it very often. I am satisfied on the fringes, when I should be relishing in the innermost parts.
Maybe life is not as easy as I thought. Maybe there is a bit of distress still lingering. Whatever the case, I need to seek out my refuge, and taste the blessings of His protection.
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