OUR REFUGE & HOPE

Psalm 119:114 New Living Translation

“You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.”

       There are five words I would like to highlight which I consider to be the obvious key words in this verse. I’ve put them in red.  The first word is refuge.  A refuge simply put is a shelter from hardship or danger.  It is a place one goes for protection from attack or even just the weather.  The writer of the Psalm, thought by many to be King David, is stating clearly and concisely that God is not only his protection from his enemies, but also his shield.  The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:16b “hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.”  The shield provides personal protection from those who would harm you. So it is abundantly clear that the writer saw God as his protector and place of shelter.  This comes from burrowing down deep into the fullness of what it means to truly know your Creator. 

       We’ve spoken quite a bit over the years about the word of God.  Just recently we honed in on the point of faith that God, with a word, spoke everything into existence. His word is transcendent, as in “above and independent of this material world”.⁽¹⁾ There is nothing God cannot do by simply speaking a word. It isn’t that he speaks and others jump to fulfill his request, it’s that God speaks a word and the word itself, which is alive,⁽²⁾ works out his will for that moment.

       Hope is what most people are looking for as they go thru life.  The hardships that people face each day can be mind boggling, but God is still present in their midst to lessen the burden and bring hope to those who feel their situation is hopeless.  Hope is a by product of faith.  Trust is come from faith also.  We trust God to lead us home to heaven.  We trust him to provide for us when we cannot provide for ourselves.  We trust him at his word that if we stand strong in the Lord by faith we will be with him throughout eternity.  That is our blessed hope, eternity with our God and King.  Live your life with abandon knowing that your future is with Christ.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible; published by Tyndale Publishing.

⁽¹⁾ American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

^{(2) Hebrews 4:12 New Living Translation (NLT)  “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”}