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My Rock And Refuge

July 31, 2019·Mike Gentry

Psalm 71:1-7 says:
“In You, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. In Your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn Your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel. For You have been my hope, Sovereign Lord. My confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on You; You brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise You. I have become a sign to many; You are my strong refuge.”

I love the imagery in the Bible in reference to God being our rock and refuge. It’s so prevalent in the Bible, and I always feel encouraged that I serve the God who saves, delivers and protects me. I love that I can trust Him and know that He has my best interest at heart. Even in times during my life when I’ve been faced with a tough situation and may not see in the moment what He has planned, I always know He is with me and He will see me through.

Isn’t it great to know that we serve a God who knows us, loves us, and is always there for us? He sees the big picture, and I’m grateful that He sometimes lets me see bits and pieces of the picture, but not enough that I become overwhelmed. We serve the one and only God, the Creator of the universe, yet He still has time for each one of us, and He loves to be with us! He wants us to know that whatever comes our way, He’s there to guide us and protect us.

David, the writer of this psalm, knew full well what it meant to have God as his rock and refuge. After defeating the giant Goliath, he would serve King Saul for many years, years in which King Saul grew increasingly jealous of David and attempted to pursue him and kill him multiple times before David himself finally became king. You would think things would get better for him once he became king, but later in his life, his own offspring pursued him and tried to kill him. Yet, God protected him over and over again.

It’s so encouraging to me because though I will never face a physical giant, there have been gigantic situations I have faced in my life, and God has protected me so many times. Therefore, I’m encouraged when I read the Bible and see the ways in which David was troubled, yet God protected him.

Whatever situations come our way, whatever the trials or troubles we face in our lives; we can know God is in control, and He will protect us. We can have confidence in the Lord, just as King David did, because God is our strength and shield, He is our fortress and deliverer, He is our rock and our refuge, our God in whom we can trust.

Pastor Mike Gentry

The Church on the Way