Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.
The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Little did I know when I chose this passage today, this is an Easter Psalm! This is one of the Psalms used by the early disciples in the book of Acts as they started to evangelize the world. Peter quotes from it in Acts 2:25-28, Paul quotes from it in Acts 13:32-37, and in response thousands came to faith in Jesus! The disciples (and us today!) know that David couldn’t have been speaking of himself, because his body DID see decay, he’s still dead today! But because he was a prophet, David was pointing to the greater King, his son Jesus.
David begins by reminding us where we can find our source of comfort: in God. He says the we should take our refuge in him. All of us seek refuge on a regular basis. I think for me, my home is the place I look for refuge! It keeps me dry when it’s raining, warm when it’s cold, it holds the things I hold most dear (apart from my family, but it often holds them too!). Yet if I only look to the gifts God has given instead of the giver of those good gifts, I’m missing the point. The point for all of us is to use what God has given as a way to honor and worship Him. David goes on to remind us of that fact: “the sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply.” None of those other things we put in place of God can be a true source of refuge for us.
David goes on and says “I have put the Lord always before me.” What kinds of things do you to to ensure your focus is always on God? What kinds of things have you needed to get rid of so could better focus on God and not be distracted by the things of this world? Because doing so is the only way we can find full joy! And right now is a great time for us to be thinking of what things we’re looking to for our comfort and strength instead of God, because many of those are being stripped away! I’d encourage you to use some time during this Easter week to think through what God is teaching you during this crazy time!
SONG:
Pastor Mike's Musings 