Lord, I seek refuge in You; let me never be disgraced. Save me by Your righteousness. Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly. Be a rock of refuge for me, a mountain fortress to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; You lead and guide me because of Your name. You will free me from the net that is secretly set for me, for You are my refuge. Into Your hand I entrust my spirit; You redeem me, Lord, God of truth. Psalm 31:1-5
My words…
Praise
How precious is Your relationship with David, the shepherd-poet-king. I have learned so much about You through his Spirit-guided words. He knew what it meant to be a refugee – homeless, running for his life, hiding in caves. He knew where to find perfect refuge, and he held the key: He entrusted his spirit to You, and You welcomed him into Your mountain fortress of protection and comfort. The same refuge is open to me, and I, like David, hold the key. When I surrender my spirit to You, I enter into Your protective custody. Satan’s trebuchet, hurling boulders of discouragement, distraction, entitlement, and doubt, is impotent and useless against Your might. The boulders bounce off the walls of Your fortress without dislodging a stone.
Prayer for me
I am not pursued by the same kind of enemy as David. I have never been driven from my home, wrongly accused, or maligned. But I am targeted by the Devil’s arrows. He blurs the lines between what is right and what is wrong. He uses subtlety to poison Your message by awarding credence to godless thinkers. And I fall for it. Strengthen my spirit to recognize and avoid this trap.
Forgive me
Forgive me for the times I refuse to use my key to enter into Your protection. Trusting You completely, surrendering my will to Yours requires strength that sometimes eludes me. I am tempted to believe that I can live outside of Your will and expect Your protection anyway. Pardon my insolence.
Prayer for others
Father, I pray for the countless refugees of this world. They are homeless, running for their lives, hiding in caves. They are huddled together in makeshift towns, oppressed and exploited. Evil ones have cornered them and cut off their way of escape. Families are separated. Innocents are slaughtered. They need a refuge! Many of them profess Your Son as Lord. They pray for release from their tormentors. I know You hear their prayers. I add mine to theirs. Provide a place of safety for them on this earth.
Thank You
Thank You for opening the fortress doors and welcoming all who flee to You for safety. You turn no one away. And thank You for preserving the words of those who proclaim You as their rock, their fortress. Their words are the path which lead me to Your door.
More praise
Your scriptures are filled with metaphor as a way of bringing Your unsearchable character into focus. Although there is no metaphor that comes close to capturing Your full character, You as my refuge is one of my favorite. There is no other stronghold as powerful as You. Into Your hand I entrust my spirit.
