Psalm 142:3-5

Psalm 142:3-5
When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
people have hidden a snare for me.
4 Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.
5 I cry to you, LORD;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”

Refuge is defined as a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble. David had been fleeing for quite some time from Saul, trying to find that one place where he could be safe. David had tried to find refuge in all sorts of places, each one turning out to be the wrong place. It wasn’t in his wife, his friend, his mentor, or even in the hands of his enemies! David finally found true refuge in God Himself.

Each of us needs and desires a place of refuge. A place where we can find love and safety from the challenges of life and the pursuit of sin. But it seems, more often than not, we are seeking it in all the wrong places. Just like David we turn to our family or friends with expectations that they will provide everything we need. In turn, we place an unfair burden on them and find ourselves disappointed. We even run to things that in the end will ultimately hurt us. We pursue fortune and wealth thinking that will give us the refuge and safety we need, but we discover that the pursuit of refuge in wealth is never ending. Sometimes we turn to unhealthy relationships, or worse drugs and alcohol. All of which leaves us saying, “I have no refuge!”

It’s so important for us to recognize that our one true place of refuge is in Jesus Christ. It’s in Him and in a relationship with Him that we find the love and safety that we desire. In Him we experience refuge. In Jesus we find someone who stands at our right hand, who is concerned for us, and one who loves us. Whatever you are going through, know that you can turn to Jesus and find refuge in Him.