"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE REFUGE WE HAVE IN THE LORD"
Psalm 141:8 But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord; In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute.
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:
David like any other person, and any other servant of God had his share of troubles, fears, anxieties and concerns. Perhaps he had more than most, in light of his position as king. Regardless, he also had access to what every child of God has, and that is access to the Living God. And, in this one single verse David helps us greatly by expressing his faith in God.
1. We can put our eyes on the Lord.
141:8 But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord; In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute.
We tend to think of the men of the Bible as "super saints" as it were. But, in fact, they were just people like we are. They faced life and it's problems just like we do. But, one thing for sure, we can do what David did. We can put our eyes on the Lord, or put our faith in God like David did. In fact, this is exactly what God calls us to do, and wants us to do.
Psalm 62:8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
2. GOD is the Lord.
Psalm 141:8 But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord; In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute.
The word Lord, is translated, Adonay, meaning master. It's one of God's names, and titles. Sometimes the Jews instead of saying Yahweh, another name for God, and out of reverence for God, ( not even wanting to verbalize His name, to show their respect ) would call Him Adonay, or Adoni. As mentioned it means Master. And, indeed He is the master. He is the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings. There is no one like Him, there is no one above Him.
So, the God we call upon, is the greatest, the highest, the most powerful, and the all knowing, all present and unchangeable, just, loving, wise, gracious, merciful and kind being that there is. We can call upon the Lord like David did.
3. We can take refuge in Him.
Psalm 141:8 But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord; In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute.
This gets us down to the practical blessings we have in calling upon God. He is something to us, and for us. And, there is something that we can find and benefit from as we call upon Him. We can take refuge in God. That is what David did. "In You I take refuge"
The word refuge, means, to flee for protection, to confide in, to have hope in, to put our trust in. Isn't that wonderful, that in our times of need, we have God to trust in. We do not have to trust in ourselves, but rather we can trust in Him. And, He is more willing than we know to be that refuge for us. His love for us is so much greater than we know. He loves it when His children look to Him for help. He is more than willing to be what we need when we need it.
4. We also can pray, and be assured that God will answer and help.
Psalm 141:8 But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord; In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute.
Along with trusting in God as his refuge, David also had a very specific prayer request for God. "Do not leave my soul destitute" The NLT says, "Don't let them kill me" So, the situation was very desperate. And, David was turning to God and asking for help, and so can we. This is exactly what Paul teaches us to do in the NT
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Psalm 9:9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.
Some questions:
1. Are you like David today, putting your eyes on the Lord?
2. Do you know that You also have faith from God, and You can put your faith in Him?
3. Are you mindful of His great love and acceptance of You in Christ today?
4. Can you remember the last crisis you were in, when you trusted God and he helped you?
5. Are you in need of His help today?
6. Will you look to Him in this hour, be confident, you will find His help.
A prayer:
Father, the Psalms are such an never ending source of help and comfort for us. Thank You for them. When we read them, so often, we think, "this is just what I needed to hear today" How You love us, and how You want to be our help in trouble. And, how available You are to us. Thank You Father for Your unchanging love and acceptance of us. In Jesus name, amen.
