God Is Our Refuge
By Rich Carmicheal
"How long will you assail a man…? They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position…" (Psa. 62:3-4).
This is a very unsettling time for many people, and pressures in your life (and family, and work, and church, and nation, and world) may be as great as ever. If this is the case, you may need as much as ever for the Lord to be your refuge and fortress; for His faithfulness to be your shield and bulwark (Psa. 91:2-4).
David, who faced great pressures and enemies throughout his life, provides a wonderful example of what it means to seek refuge in the Lord. In Psalm 62, while acknowledging the continual barrage against him (see vv. 3-4 above), David expresses his complete confidence in the Lord to protect and sustain him: "My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us" (vv. 5-8).
No matter what you may be facing at this time, and no matter what you may ever face, you can find hope, security, strength, salvation and mercy in God. If you entrust yourself and your situation to Him, you will discover that He is indeed a mighty Rock and Refuge, and you will not be shaken. Even if the earth give way, and the mountains fall into the sea, and the waters roar and foam, God will still be your "refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (see Psalm 46:1-5).
In Psalm 62, David shares the underlying reason for his complete confidence in the Lord: "…Once God has spoken; twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God; and lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord…" (vv. 11-12). In other words, we can trust God because He is full of power and full of love. The fact that He loves us means that He always desires the best for us, and will always work according to what is good for us. The fact that He is full of power means that He is able to do whatever is necessary for us. He is the Sovereign Lord who made the heavens and the earth by His great power, and nothing is too difficult for Him (Jer. 32:17).
This does not mean that our lives will be without storms, but it does mean that we can weather any storm because we are anchored to God through Christ (Heb. 6:19). As the hymn so wonderfully describes, "In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil…when all around my soul gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay."
Because God’s perspective is so much greater than ours, He does not necessarily work out everything the way we desire or think is best. To "trust in Him at all times" (Psa. 62:8) means to trust His solutions and His timing. Our responsibility is to turn toward Him, to pour out our hearts before Him, and to trust and wait upon Him. His responsibility, according to His great faithfulness, is to care for us according to His great love and power. And He "is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think..." (Eph. 3:20).
He has everything we need. And even more, He is everything we need. He is the God of peace, comfort, compassion, encouragement, hope, joy, provision, protection, forgiveness, deliverance, salvation, sanctification, healing, strength, wisdom, grace and life. "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken" (Psa. 55:22).