Photo Credit: Sue Oesterwind

Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually (Psalm 71.3).

God’s Resort: A Mark of Mercy and a Manifestation of Comfort

God’s strong refuge is both a mark of His mercy and a manifestation of His comfort. I don’t deserve the privilege of the amazing access to the Father that I now have. When I find my way to
Him, I find comfort. The comfort is unsurpassable. Sometimes we don’t find such comfort because we are too busy building our own places of refuge. We hide in the shanties of pleasure or popularity. God is the only worthy refuge to whom I may resort continually. Why is He the right choice for us?

God’s Refuge: A Wise Choice

First, it’s the smart thing to do; it’s the wise choice. When you think of just the little things that consume Christians in our country, it is frightening to think of a future filled with real and persistent persecution. As a church, we must be taught to fail in our own strength. It is the most merciful thing God can do in order to teach us to resort to Him continually.

When God is our refuge, there is always hope even in the most miserable situations here on earth. Believers who resort to God during these times find that out. They are truly wise. We must conclude that it is the height of foolishness to ignore the refuge we’ve been given in God. Let us go to Him continually. Let us rely upon His omnipotent arm instead of our feeble attempts to deliver ourselves. Jeremiah wrote, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD …Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD” (Jeremiah 17.5, 7).

It really is a no-brainer as they say. Fire and brimstone (and disease) are already coming upon the face of Sodom. It’s time to flee to our strong refuge; to resort in Him continually.

God’s Refuge: A Loyal Choice

Second, it’s the loyal thing to do. Loyalty matters to God. When you look for a refuge in anyone or anything else, God will not put up with it for long. He is a jealous God …He has perfect jealousy. The psalmist was loyal to God because he experienced the all-sufficiency of God in his weakness.

Only God has the power to protect you. Only God loves you enough to provide you with what you need instead of what you want. If we don’t read and study verses like Psalm 71.3, it would never occur to us to pray as the psalmist did. You discover who God is and what He wants to do for you by studying the Psalms. Until you know God’s character, you’ll never really understand why people are willing to forsake everything and everyone else in order to serve Him.

The wonderful thing about God’s character is that as we discover Him together, we will conclude that He indeed is our refuge through all generations (Psalm 90.1). When we flee to Him, we find comfort and security even in the midst of great chaos.

Resort to Refuge

We ought to have great pity upon those who still struggle to find a strong Refuge to whom they may resort. If they think that their troubles are burdensome now, just think of the terror that awaits them in Hell after they die! People who fight against God will one day find that they fight against the Creator of all. But if they pursue a relationship with God, they will have a peace that protects and keep their hearts for this life and the life to come.

Yet I hasten to add that those of us who have made the LORD a refuge and dwelling place may be assured that “no evil shall befall” us (Psalm 91.9-10). “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18.10). When we pray, let us ask that God be a strong refuge, to which we may resort continually (Psalm 71.3).