“The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.”
Psalm 9:9-10 NLT
In our natural thoughts, we read these verses today and immediately reflect on a place of safety. It could be our home once we have closed and locked the front door. It could be the thought of a castle like Eilean Donan in Scotland’s Kyle of Lochalsh, or Edinburgh Castle, places thought to be almost impregnable when they were built. Then there was Masada, the last place of safety for the Jews after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. And I’m sure David, when he wrote this Psalm, had something similar in mind. Psalm 9:9 mentions the “oppressed”, implying that these were people who were under attack of some kind. Perhaps it was some sort of religious persecution, or difficulties with a landowner or landlord. Even a military source or a thief. In David’s day, there wasn’t the societal cohesion that we enjoy (most of the time) in our Western communities. The “times of trouble” can have many guises. Another Psalmist picked up this theme in Psalm 46:1-2, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea”. In this case, the Psalmist expands on the thought that God is someone to whom we can turn when there are natural disasters.
Today, we can find ourselves, though, in places of oppression from our enemy the devil. He will find our weak spots and will often waken us with worrying thoughts in the early hours of the morning. Perhaps there is an unpaid bill worrying us, or a family situation that is proving difficult to resolve. Of course, none of these things can be escaped from. We live in a natural world with its rules and regulations, difficulties and challenges, a world degraded by sin. But our enemy will maximise our discomfort because that is what he does. The same old lie from the Garden is still on his lips today, “Surely God did not …”
An 18th Century prayer for children was, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, Watch and guard me through the night, and wake me with the morning light“. The picture emerges of God’s protection extending over little ones, easily frightened by events or noises around them. Another verse that reassures us of God’s enduring protection can be found in Deuteronomy 31:8, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you”.
God is indeed a refuge for us, a stronghold impregnable to the attacks of the enemy or anyone else. He will keep our spirits safe forever. There is a Psalm I have turned to in the past when faced with a problem, seemingly insurmountable. Psalm 91:4 contains a wonderful word picture of a mother hen guarding her chicks. But God is far more than that and I can remember one time, when the company I was working for was facing financial difficulties and redundancies were threatened, that God took me to Psalm 91:7, “Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.”
But whatever our situation, God “is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble“. He is always there for us. And sometimes, if He allows something to happen to us regardless of our prayers, He knows of something better coming along. Our God is a wonderful caring and loving God. He will always be there for us, and has our highest interests at heart. Oh – by the way – I wasn’t made redundant although others were. God is good!
Dear Father God. You are our wonderful Protector in all circumstances. We may still walk through the valley of death, but You are indeed always with us. Thank You. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 