God is Our Shelter
I have had the great privilege of driving though the Adelaide Hills this past year and seeing the natural beauty of South Australia. One if the things that caught my eye was signs for Fire Refuges. In California they are called “evacuation centers,” but serve the same purpose. They are sanctuaries from danger. But, where do you go for sanctuary when the danger is from people? David gives us the answer in Psalm 57.
David prays for God’s grace as he takes refuge in the Lord (57:1). He is He is confident that God will deliver him from his troubles and put to shame those that are trying to hurt him (57:3). God will send forth His loving-kindness and truth (57:3). He is confident even though his enemies are near and the danger that he is in is constant. David says that his enemies are are like lions, and he has no choice but to lie down among them (57:4). Their words cause great pain and destruction, like fire (57:4). They have devised traps for him in order to catch and hurt him (57:6). Yet, even in these hard times David’s faith in God is still strong (57:5).
Brethren, David responds to the fiery trials of life with faith in the Lord. Even though his enemies are seeking his destruction, he runs to his Refuge in the midst of the fire. In Christ we have a shelter no matter what this world throws against us. We must stir our souls to sing God’s praises in the toughest of times (57:7). When we respond to trials with great faith and thankful praise, it is a witness to unbelievers of God’s love and truth (57:9-11).