"My Refuge"

 

 

 

 

[Psalm 91]

 

 

Last week, I saw a report on TV news about the homeless. In a city here in Southern California, the local government had set up a budget to help the homeless find a place to stay. However, as more and more homeless people arrived from various places, the government couldn't handle the situation and ended up demolishing the area. During this, I watched an interview with one or two homeless women, where the reporter asked them what they were planning to do. Their answers seemed uncertain, and they didn't appear overly worried. As I observed these homeless individuals wandering aimlessly, I was reminded of the Israelites during the time of the Exodus in the Bible.

When they left Egypt and headed toward the promised land of Canaan, they didn't have a permanent home. Instead, they camped in the wilderness, making their way toward Canaan. At that time, the most important thing for the Israelites was the tabernacle. In other words, the tabernacle was the center of their daily life. It wasn't just a place to sleep; it was the place where they would stop temporarily to worship God. So, the tabernacle was the center of worship. Inside the tabernacle, there was the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place. In the Holy of Holies, the Ark of the Covenant was kept, and in the Holy Place, there was the altar of incense, the table of showbread, and the golden lampstand. The twelve tribes of Israel camped around the tabernacle, divided into groups of three tribes each, and set up their camps in the four cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. The Levites served in the tabernacle, which was the place of God's presence. Whenever the tabernacle moved, all the tribes moved along with it, and wherever the tabernacle stopped, they stayed there as well (Internet).

The psalmist confessed in Psalm 84:1-2: "How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." Why did the psalmist long for the Lord's palace? The reason is because God's presence dwelled there. In other words, what was truly important was not the tabernacle or the palace itself, but whether or not God was present in that place.

In today's scripture, Psalm 91:2, the psalmist says: "I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" Today, I want to reflect on three aspects of God's grace that He gives to us as our refuge, based on this verse. I pray that this time of reflection will help us remember God's grace and lead us to thank Him once again for His goodness.

First, the God who is our refuge rescues us.

Look at Psalm 91:3: "Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence." In this verse, we see that the God who is our refuge rescues us from at least two things (or places):

  1. The psalmist says that God rescues us from the "snare."

A "snare" is a tool used to catch birds or animals. It is a deceptive means, and because of this, believers with simple hearts are easily trapped by it (Park Yun-seon). So, how does Satan trap believers with simple hearts in his snare? There are many ways, but one of them is through lies. That is, the father of lies, Satan, uses lies to deceive simple-hearted believers, leading them into his snare. What is Satan’s purpose in deceiving us and trapping us in his snare? The purpose is the “destruction” of believers (v. 6b). However, our true God, who is our refuge (v. 4), has rescued us from Satan’s snare and continues to rescue us.

  1. The psalmist says that God also rescues us from the "deadly pestilence."

Here, the word "pestilence" refers to something that spreads and infects, and it is also a metaphor for the venomous tongue that goes around slandering and speaking maliciously (Park Yun-seon). The word "pestilence" also appears in the first part of verse 6: "The pestilence that stalks in the darkness..." And in verse 5, it says, "You will not fear the terror of the night..." If we combine these verses, "deadly pestilence" refers primarily to diseases that bring death. But it can also refer to Satan’s lies and malicious accusations, as he goes around seeking to destroy believers through slander and false accusations (Park Yun-seon). In conclusion, the God who is our refuge rescues us from both the snare and the deadly pestilence. That is, the God who is our refuge is a God of salvation who rescues us from destruction and from the terror of death.

So, who does our God of salvation rescue from the snare and the deadly pestilence? Look at verse 14: "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him..." The God of salvation, who is our refuge, rescues those who love Him. Those who love God know that He is the "Most High" and the "Almighty" (v. 1, 14). And they believe that this Most High and Almighty God can rescue them from the "snare" and the "deadly pestilence." Look at verse 15: "He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him." God answers the prayers of those who love Him and call on Him in faith. Therefore, God answers the prayers of those who love Him and call on Him, being with them in trouble, rescuing them, and honoring them.

Secondly, the God who is our refuge protects us.

Look at Psalm 91:11: "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways." Those who take the Lord as their refuge (v. 9) are assured that God will keep their dwelling place safe (vv. 9-10). How does God make the dwelling places of the psalmist and the people of Israel secure when they took Him as their refuge? Look at verses 10-11: "No harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways." God protects those who love Him and call on Him, guarding them from harm and disaster. Harm and disaster will not come near the tents of those who love God, as He watches over and protects them. God sends His angels to guard us in all our ways.

In Psalm 37:7 and 2 Kings 6:16, we see the concept that it is not just one angel guarding each person, but rather, many angels are actively working on behalf of one person. Although there are many evil forces seeking to harm the saints, the forces protecting us are greater (Park Yun-seon). Through angels, God watches over and protects us. Not only does He guard us so that our foot does not strike a stone (v. 12), but He also protects us from dangerous creatures like lions and serpents (v. 13). Here, "lions" and "serpents," as well as "young lions and cobras," represent “ignorant and wicked enemies” (Park Yun-seon). Our God, who loves us and hears our pleas, is the One who protects us from our cruel enemies.

Therefore, we must trust in our God, who is our refuge (v. 2). The God who protects and guards us is the God we place our trust in. He is our fortress (v. 2). His "faithfulness" is our "shield and rampart" (v. 4). I pray that Psalm 18:2 becomes the confession of you and me: "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

Finally, thirdly, the God who is our refuge satisfies us.

Look at Psalm 91:16: "With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." How does God, who is our refuge, promise to satisfy you and me? The answer is with "long life." One of the well-known promises of long life in the Bible is found in Ephesians 6:2-3: "Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." What we need to understand from this verse is that in receiving the blessing of long life, we also have a responsibility. In Ephesians 6:2-3, that responsibility is to "honor our parents." So, what is our responsibility, as shown in today's passage from Psalm 91, in order to receive the blessing of long life that God promises? Simply put, it is to know God, love Him (Psalm 91:14), trust Him (v. 2), take refuge in Him (vv. 2, 9), and call upon Him (v. 15). When we do this, our God, who is our refuge, will satisfy our souls. He will extend our life by delivering us from trouble (v. 15).

What do we truly desire? If you and I are truly living with God as our refuge, then we will long more for eternal life with the Lord in His heavenly dwelling than for long life on this earth. We are certainly waiting for the day when God's salvation will be completed through the return of Jesus Christ. On that day, our Lord will completely satisfy our souls. Until that day, until that moment, we must make the Lord our refuge. May we live with God's salvation, protection, and grace, which satisfies our souls, as we trust in Him, love Him, and call upon Him.

 

 

 

Living with the experience of the grace of salvation, protection, and satisfaction that our Lord, who is our refuge, gives,

 

 

Pastor James Kim's Sharing
(As my soul longs for the Lord’s eternal dwelling)