The Lord Is Your Refuge and Strength

Commentary

This Psalm is a prayer of David, from the time that he was being pursued by Saul and his men for death. David had a heart for God and a promise to be the next king of Israel. Because of this, Saul became concerned that his throne would be lost to David. As Saul’s heart turned dark, Saul began to attempt to kill David on several occasions. The wickedness of Saul’s heart drove him to persecute David, simply because David had the Lord’s favor.

If you’re outwardly living for Christ Jesus, as one whose heart is for the Lord, then you’ll very likely suffer some kind of persecution in your life too. It might be light, it might be severe. But in the Lord, is where you will find all that you need to endure and overcome. My friend, don’t let the harsh words of others, their unjust actions or their hatred for Jesus — that’s being taken out on you — bring you to a place of depression, rage, or fear. Make your priority move to be prayer, just as David so often did.

Commentary

David’s struggle at this time was rough. He was being hunted by a man whom he had respect for, an authority figure, a man who was previously anointed by God as king. David had allies, one being Saul’s son Jonathan, but apart from this group, Saul had many more men hunting for David. His situation might’ve felt hopeless at times.

You may find yourself in situations where it would seem that everyone is against you, an outcast with little to no allies around you. Maybe you’re being picked on and unfairly treated, with seemingly no place to run. But understand that when there is no place to run to, Jesus is there. In fact, He wants to be the first and only “place” you run to.

Commentary

It’s these struggles in life, these persecutions, mistreatment, hardships we endure — these situations make us stronger. Not by our own strength, but as we submit fully to the Lord, His strength. Samuel records in 1 Samuel 24 that David had an ambush situation in the cave that he was hiding in, an opening available to lunge out and take the sword to Saul. But David submitted to the Lord’s will and did not take vengeance into his own hands. He knew what God had promised him, that he would be king at some point. This meant that God would deal with Saul in His own timing.

In your own struggles with others, know that your weakness is strengthened as you turn to Jesus for help. In that Christ-given strength comes the ability to have love, mercy, and self-control, to avoid retaliation and vengeance against those who are harming you. The most damaging thing we can do is to show our enemies love, especially when they aren’t loving to us.

Commentary

It’s so easy to build up a disdain for those who mistreat you or “rub you the wrong way”. This is especially true for those who have tormented you the most. Those who have brought you mental or physical harm. It’s also just as easy to become down on yourself, as one who is at fault for such a situation. Don’t let these lies of Satan overwhelm your thinking and actions.

If you love Jesus, then you have nothing in life to truly worry about. He has You in His hands. He has forgiven you of so much, it’s impossible to even understand how much you’ve been forgiven. Those who have hurt you need His forgiveness too. Not only His, but yours. Don’t hold a grudge, don’t retaliate back, but instead shower your enemies with love, praying for their souls.

If you’re in a situation that may bring physical harm, by all means defend yourself, that is Biblical, but also pray for those whose intent is to harm you.

Commentary

We end this study with more words of truth from David. This is one of my favorite verses, one that I lean on all of the time. In your day-to-day life, it can be easy to lose sight of the Lord’s grace and protection in your own lives. You might encounter a type of situation again that, before coming to faith, you handled a certain way. Your flesh’s “muscle memory” might try to take over in how you handle this situation.

But now, as a follower of Christ, all you need to do is submit to Him. He will give you all that you need to navigate through any troubles that you face. He will give you the love for your enemies, and He will be all that you need in this life. In Him, you can have peace, joy, hope, wisdom, endurance, strength, and most importantly, love. God truly is a place of refuge for all who love Him.