The Lord is your refuge, your hiding place

Psalm 59:16 (NKJV): But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense, and refuge in the day of my trouble.

This psalm was written by David when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him (see 1 Samuel 19:11). The word 'refuge' here is 'manowce' in Hebrew, which can mean 'a retreat, an escape, a fleeing place', from the word 'nuwce' (pronounced 'noos') meaning 'to escape, to flee, to hide, to vanish away'. Indeed, the Lord is your hiding place, and in Him, you are 'invisible' to the enemy, where the enemy cannot find you and touch you!

In cross-reference, Psalm 91:1-2 says, 'He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust."'

The name 'David' simply means 'beloved', from the word 'dowd' which means 'to love'. Today, because you are a beloved of God, you too can find refuge from the enemy (whether spiritual or physical), or from anyone who has evil intention (or malice) against you, or from anyone who tries to hurt you (whether in words or deeds). If the Lord has called you to do (or put in your heart to do) something significant, there is a likelihood that someone isn't happy. This is especially so when you are doing something apostolic (breaking new grounds), unprecedented, or never been done before. Maybe what you are doing has become a subject of jealousy, or even a threat to another. Now, that was exactly what happened to David those days.

It all began when David's 'promotion' came (1 Samuel 17). He has been prepared and trained by the Lord through the years as a shepherd boy, and the moment came when he 'happened' to be there because he was asked by his father Jesse to bring breakfast for his brothers (1 Samuel 17:17-24). When all the men of Israel were dreadfully afraid of Goliath and fled from him, David said to King Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine." (1 Samuel 17:32), and he prevailed over Goliath (1 Samuel 17:49-51). Saul then took him into his ranks, and set him over the men of war (1 Samuel 18:2, 1 Samuel 18:5). Now, what could go wrong? It should have been a time of great rejoicing for David! In fact, he behaved wisely and prospered in all his ways, and was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

But alas! 1 Samuel 18:6-9 says, 'Now it had happened as they (the men of war) were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. So the women sang as they danced, and said: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?" So Saul eyed David from that day forward'.
Note: The word 'eyed' here means 'to watch (with jealousy)'.

It was then that Saul began seeking to kill David (1 Samuel 18:11-29), and this also marked the turning point to the worse for Saul. You see, it was his own insecurity and jealousy against David that eventually led to his own downfall! Instead of focusing on the Lord and His 'blueprint' for his own life, he became too engrossed in wanting to kill David whom he saw as his enemy. But as for David, the Lord was with him and he behaved more wisely than all the other servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed (1 Samuel 18:30).

The lesson we can learn here: Stay focused on the Lord and His 'blueprint' for your life. Never compare with others, because there will always be people doing better than you in different ways/areas of life. Saul's mistake was he began to focus away from God, and instead began to focus on wanting to kill David whom he saw as a threat to his throne (or even his popularity). He became so obsessed in trying to kill David that he forgot to look to God and walk in God's calling for his own life.

1 Samuel 19:10-12 says, 'Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul's presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night. Saul also sent messengers to David's house to watch him and to kill him in the morning... So Michal (David's wife) let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped'.

You see, the Lord will always send the right people to open a way of escape for you, even when you think there's no way. Just look to Him and cry out to Him. In David's case, the Lord even used Saul's very own son (Jonathan) and daughter (Michal) to make a way of escape for him! (1 Samuel 19:1-2, 1 Samuel 19:12-17)

Also, an interesting point to note here is even though Saul saw David as enemy (1 Samuel 18:29), David did not see Saul likewise. In fact, his loyalty and commitment towards Saul was second to none. Later on, when Saul died in a battle (1 Samuel 31:1-6), David did not rejoice over his death, but he wept and mourned for him instead (2 Samuel 1:11-12).

Back to 1 Samuel 19 now. And guess where David fled and escaped to? 1 Samuel 19:18 says, 'So David fled and escaped, and went to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth'.

Every name and place in the Bible has its meaning and significance. The name 'Samuel' here is 'Shemuw-El' in Hebrew, which means 'heard of God', from the word 'shama' meaning 'to hear attentively, to hear carefully', and of course, 'El' meaning 'God, Almighty'. Beloved of God, whatever your situation may be at the moment, the Lord is here to hear you as you pour out to Him, just as Samuel heard all that David had to pour out to him.

How about the name of the place 'Ramah' here? Interestingly, 'Ramah' means 'height, high place' in Hebrew, from the word 'ruwm' which means 'to rise above, to raise'. Indeed, the Lord is your Most High God, and He will arise for you! Hallelujah!

And the place 'Naioth' in this context is 'residence of God (dwelling place of God)', from the word 'navah' meaning 'to rest (as at home)'. Today, the Lord is also inviting you to come and stay in His residence (His dwelling place), and rest in His very presence, because it is here that the enemy cannot find you and touch you. Amen.

Psalm 71 - a psalm of refuge in a time of affliction and trouble

Psalm 71:3 (NKJV): Be my strong refuge, to which (whereunto) I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress.

The word ‘resort’ here is ‘bow’ in Hebrew, which means 'to enter in, to run towards, to fall on (Him), to abide in, to confide in (to entrust something to someone for safekeeping)'.

Psalm 71 is a psalm of refuge for those who are in a time of affliction and trouble. David penned this psalm in his old age, at a very difficult time of his life when his own son (Absalom) betrayed and rebelled against him (see 2 Samuel 15:1-14).

Are you also currently in a situation where you just do not know what to do (or how to go about) anymore? It may be a lingering health problem, a family feud that seems to have no solution, or a very tricky issue in your workplace. Or it may be your finance or your future, and you find yourself staring at a dead-end. It may even be a very hurting betrayal of friendship or trust. Or you simply have lost hope in life.

Whatever your situation may be at the moment, I pray for the strength and sustenance of the Lord to be with you, and may you find refuge and encouragement through this psalm. 

The expression "Be my strong refuge" is translated as "Be my rock of refuge" in King James Version (KJV). 'Rock' speaks of something 'unshakeable', in contrast to 'shifting sands'. The word 'refuge' here is 'makhaseh' in Hebrew, which means 'a shelter, a place of hope, a place of trust, a hiding place'.

In Matthew 7:24-25, Jesus says, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings (i.e. commandments or instructions) of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock."

'House' here speaks of you, your life, your household, your ministry, or the things that you set out to do. Notice the words "and it did not fall"?

Back to Psalm 71:3 now. The word 'commandment' here is 'tsavah' in Hebrew, which speaks of 'an instruction (or a message) that puts (sets) things in order', and the word 'save' here is 'yasha' in Hebrew, meaning 'save, set free, help, avenge (fight for you), deliver, defend, rescue, get victory'.

In Psalm 71:1-2, David wrote, 'In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me'.

'To escape’ here is 'pawlat' in Hebrew, which means 'to slip out, to be carried away safely, or to be delivered (from the affliction or trouble)'.

Let’s look at another example of how the Lord gave a ‘commandment’ (‘tsavah’) that saved a sticky situation. When Moses came to a ‘dead-end’ with no way of escape in sight, he looked to the Lord his God and put his trust in Him. 

He then said to the Israelites, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14)

That's when the Lord gave His ‘tsavah’ to save (‘yasha’) the situation: “Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.” (Exodus 14:16)

Is there anything impossible to the Lord? 

The Word of God says He is still the same God today as He was those days (Hebrews 13:8), and therefore He can also make a way of escape for you too, no matter what affliction or trouble you may be facing at the moment. 

Man or organization may fail you, but He cannot and will not fail you, because He loves you. And when there's no one else you can turn to, know that He is (and will always be) here for you - your rock of refuge, your shelter, your place of hope, your place of trust, your hiding place. Take heart.

May you see the light at the end of the tunnel real soon. This is my sincere prayer for you today. Amen.

Be still, and know that He is God

Psalm 46:10a: Be still, and know that I am God.

We are living in a time with many 'suddenlies', the end-time. With natural disasters one after another on one side, and political unrests in other parts of the world, we can only look to YHWH, the possessor of heaven and earth, and nowhere else.

Psalm 46:1-3 says, 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though it's waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling'.

But in spite of all the troubles we see in this end-time, Psalm 46 continues by giving us a real hope and answer. It says in Psalm 46:4: 'There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High'. This is a 'picture' of our 'Yeru-shalayim', which means 'a place founded in shalom peace, and flowing with river of waters' in Hebrew. See also Psalm 91:1-2. The one who dwells in the 'secret place' of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Yeshua (YHWH saves) is your Prince of Peace, your refuge & your fortress; and 'the river of waters' here is always a 'picture' of His Spirit. Psalm 46 then ends with this assurance: 'Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge' (Psalm 46:10-11).

People of God, there's great hope in spite of what you hear in the media. The time has also come when 'the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ is preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations' (Matthew 24:14), because only in Him is 'the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6), and only in Him can one find true rest and peace (Matthew 11:28-30).

And in a world of many 'suddenlies' nowadays, one tends to be anxious and uncertain with too many cares, worries, and concerns. But as a believer, Matthew 6:33-34 says it aptly, 'But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry...'

As you cast your cares (worries & concerns) to the Lord (see 1 Peter 5:7), you are like a soccer player passing the 'ball' to your team mate, your 'big brother' Jesus. Every player knows he is not to keep the 'ball' at  his feet too long (even if he may have the best of skills), lest he'll be 'swarmed', 'cornered', and 'surrounded' by more and more opponent players! Pass it to Jesus! The opponent players here are an 'illustration' of the 'devil' who'll find every chance to 'devour' you (when the 'ball' is still at your feet). The devil will 'press you' & 'stress you'. But when the 'ball' is passed to Jesus, the devil cannot stand against Him. And that's how you become 'un-devour-able' (1 Peter 5:8) & 'un-drown-able' in this end-time. Hallelujah!

Beloved, in times like this, cast your every 'worry', 'care', 'anxiety', and 'concern' to Jesus, and be still (be at rest), knowing that He is still God. In Him, you find refuge & strength, and in Him, you receive your rest & peace (Matthew 11:28-30). 

And finally, rest assured that He, the Lord of hosts, IS (present tense) always with you (Psalm 46:11). Amen!

Under covering

Psalm 91:4 (NKJV): He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge...

Psalm 91 is our key chapter here. Take time to read and meditate on the whole Psalm 91 today.

I had a dream the other day. In the dream, I was in my house with my family, and there was an 'attack’ of roaring waves from the sea. Another 'attack' was 'canon balls' being shot by the 'enemy' towards us. Then & there, we were scrambling for safety, and somehow, nothing happened to us, though our house was damaged quite a little. Then, I saw my father-in-law (to me, he is always a ‘picture’ of protection & security), and with much calmness, he went over to the enemy’s place and returned with a basketful of the very type of those 'canon balls' thrown at us! In short, he actually plundered the enemy with much ease.

This is the interpretation: My father-in-law here is a ‘picture’ of God our Father. He is showing Himself strong and calm. He is showing Himself Sovereign and in full control. And because He is All-knowing, All-present, and All-powerful, He can just enter the enemy’s ground and plunder them for you. God is assuring you today that in whatever challenge you may be facing now, He is still your God. Just 'be still (be at rest), and know that He is God' (Psalm 46:10).

It also really doesn't matter what 'wrong' you may have committed in the past. It doesn't have to 'haunt' you anymore. Surrender these to Jesus at the cross. The truth is God still loves you, and He will never laugh nor mock at you or your past. Yes, He may be saddened by those 'wrongs', but in spite of it all, He still loves you! 

"How do you know, pastor?"

The Bible says so. Let's go all the way back to Genesis chapter 3 now. When Adam & Eve made a big mistake (of listening to the serpent & fell for his 'trick'), God was of course saddened. But He never laughed nor mocked at them. In fact, He still wanted to relate with them (Genesis 3:8-10). They, however hid themselves, ashamed, knowing they've done a wrong. They knew they have also lost their 'glory' as a consequence, realizing their 'nakedness'. But you know what? God did something amazing. For the first time ever since creation, He had to kill an animal (which was actually also His own creation) for its skin just to 'cover' Adam & Eve from their 'nakedness' (Genesis 3:21).

This 'sacrificed' animal (to make 'coat' of skins) is actually a ‘picture’ of Jesus being sacrificed on the cross for you & me. His blood was shed to 'cover' you from the judgment for your sins. The word 'coat' or 'tunic' of skin here is 'kethoneth' in Hebrew, which actually means 'covering'. Such is His great love for you. Such is His Father's heart for you. Today, as a believer, know that you are under His covering. He covers all your past shame & failures. Not only that, He also covers you from harm & danger as well. Be conscious of His covering today.

People of God, just as He covers you, I also can't emphasize further how important & crucial it is for you to ‘cover’ the people under your care, especially in such time when you see much 'chaos' and 'confusion' in the world. Recently, as I was covering for someone in prayer, I heard the words, “Avoid trunk road as you drive”. It was a 'check' in my heart. I didn’t know the details, but I just prayed in the spirit. Now, this can happen when you 'cover' someone in prayer. God may speak something to you in order 'to prevent evil'. So I called the person and asked her to be extra careful (yet not fear), as a precaution as she travels this time. She came back thanking me, knowing that God has indeed protected her!

'Cover' your family in prayer daily. Cover your children in prayer daily. Children need even more ‘layers’ of protection. Cover them by the blood of Jesus, spirit, soul, and body. As a pastor (or a shepherd), I know it’s very important to cover my ‘sheep’ (in my 'field') daily as well. A shepherd does not just ‘feed the Word’, but he also covers in prayer.

As I end my writing today, I pray the whole Psalm 91 for you right now. May you be blessed. Goodness and mercy of the Lord be with you always. Amen!