The Refuge (Part One)

(Psalm 18:1-3, 30)

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

PS 18:1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.

PS 18:2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

PS 18:3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,

and I am saved from my enemies.

PS 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect;

the word of the LORD is flawless.

He is a shield

for all who take refuge in him.

Listen to one of the major themes of the book of Psalms. The Lord is a refuge and everyone who comes to Him for refuge is blessed!

PS 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry

and you be destroyed in your way,

for his wrath can flare up in a moment.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

PS 84:12 O LORD Almighty,

blessed is the man who trusts in you.

PS 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;

let them ever sing for joy.

Spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

PS 64:10 Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD

and take refuge in him;

let all the upright in heart praise him!

PS 11:1 In the LORD I take refuge.

PS 7:1 O LORD my God, I take refuge in you;

PS 25:20 Guard my life and rescue me;

let me not be put to shame,

for I take refuge in you.

PS 31:1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;

let me never be put to shame;

deliver me in your righteousness.

PS 31:2 Turn your ear to me,

come quickly to my rescue;

be my rock of refuge,

a strong fortress to save me.

PS 9:9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble.

PS 9:10 Those who know your name will trust in you,

for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

DT 33:27 The eternal God is your refuge,

and underneath are the everlasting arms.

PS 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

PS 4:5 Offer right sacrifices

and trust in the LORD.

THE LORD BLESSES THOSE WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM.

When I trust . . . I take refuge.

When I take refuge . . . I trust.

This is spoken of 44 times in the book of Psalms; 90 times in entire Bible; all OT references.

In the NT this important OT concept is found as a part of the Ephesians 6 armor. David spoke of the Lord's refuge as his shield. What is our NT shield? It is our faith; in particular it is our faith in the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the shield that protects us from the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Psalm 18 is a Victory Hymn!

Two main themes in a victory hymn:

Praise of the Lord our God.

Confidence in the Lord our God.

David sat down for a drink at the headwaters – God's covenant love and mercy.

Guess what he said.

"I love you Lord."

Guess what else he said:

"I will take refuge in you."

PS 61:1 Hear my cry, O God;

listen to my prayer.

PS 61:2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,

I call as my heart grows faint;

lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

PS 61:3 For you have been my refuge,

a strong tower against the foe.

PS 61:4 I long to dwell in your tent forever

and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Selah

PS 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

PS 91:2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust."

PS 91:3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

PS 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

PS 91:9 If you make the Most High your dwelling--

even the LORD, who is my refuge--

PS 91:10 then no harm will befall you,

no disaster will come near your tent.

PS 91:11 For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

PS 91:12 they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

2SA 22:1 David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said:

"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

2SA 22:3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield and the horn of my salvation.

He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior--

from violent men you save me.

2SA 22:31 "As for God, his way is perfect;

the word of the LORD is flawless.

He is a shield

for all who take refuge in him.

THE LORD BLESSES THOSE WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM.

When I trust . . . I take refuge.

When I take refuge . . . I trust.

Have you ever heard of the Tamarac Refuge? The significance of the name meant nothing to me as a kid; all I knew is that Dad and Mom love to drive through it on the way to Grandpa and Grandma's old house up on the White Earth Reservation. I also knew that about half way there (forever to a kid, but probably about a ½ hour drive), dad would take a one mile jog off the route and we would stop at the CCC camp which meant that we go to go fishing!

Refuge = Fishing!

Now it means quite a bit more.

Yet when I am settled in my true refuge, something inside of me wants to go fishing.

And, for some reason, when my refuge is under assault, or when I mistakenly choose to leave my real refuge, I don't like the thought of fishing.

Why?

The way the Lord put us together, is in a way that makes the deepest parts of us – the heart, our soul and spirit (literal translation of the Hebrew is heart and kidney) – these long for peace, joy, love, patience, gentleness, goodness, and faith.

All who say they don't need these or do not long for these are liars; the Scripture says.

There is not peace for the wicked (Is. 48:22; 57:21) says Isaiah – no once but two times.

There is peace for those who trust in the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ – "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).

THE LORD BLESSES THOSE WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM.

When I trust . . . I take refuge.

When I take refuge . . . I trust.

Do not doubt; do not scoff.

In order for us to get to the real refuge, we need to be aware of the false places of refuge.

There are three comparing statements we need to consider; we will look at two today. They will help us find God as our refuge.

I. Those who take refuge in the Lord are known by godliness and contentment; the false place of refuge is money and my love for it (I Timothy 6:3-10).

Godliness with contentment is great gain – a refuge given by the Lord to those who seek Him.

II. Those who take refuge in the Lord put their hope in God and pray night and day; the false place of refuge is hope in the pleasures of this world (I Timothy 5:3-8).

Put you hope in God and pray day and night – a refuge given by the Lord to those who seek Him.

Those who take refuge in the Lord are known by godliness and contentment; the false place of refuge is money and my love for it (I Timothy 6:3-10).

Those who take refuge in the Lord put their hope in God and pray night and day; the false place of refuge is hope in the pleasures of this world (I Timothy 5:3-8).

THE LORD BLESSES THOSE WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM.

When I trust . . . I take refuge.

When I take refuge . . . I trust.

Do not doubt; do not scoff.

"You are my rock in times of trouble. You lift me up when I am down. All through the night your love is the anchor, my hope is in you alone"

"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteous. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' Name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand – all other ground is sinking sand."

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that our song writers, just like David, found the Lord as their refuge.

Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord (Psalm 4:5) and you will find sleep, sleep, sleep.

O taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him (Psalm 34:8)!

This is the refuge.

Anybody else, besides me, have a strange hankering to go fishing?