Hope!

Hope!

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. Psalms 119:114 NIV

The Context and Focus:

As always, it is important to consider the factors that surround the words we read, and how they relate to us today. The writer of these words is David, a man God Himself testified to as a man after His heart. David knew how to reach out to God, and he understood, to an extent, how to approach God. He was not always perfect, as he also had some nasty experiences to deal with, like adultery and murder, but he would be quick to return to God in repentance and sorrow, asking God for mercy. In his young years too, it was also clear that David knew how to hear from God, as he would spend time away from the crowd, alone in the desert with his father's sheep, and he would sing and praise God in songs. Many of his words have become bestselling songs these days, because they speak to the might, power, wisdom,  grace and favour of a God whose love knows no bounds, and who wants men to draw near to Him in faith. He does not make promises He cannot keep, because he has none of the limitations or restrictions that man has. This is the God who calls me His friend; how would I respond?

The Message:

The understanding of who this God is drives the words of today's verse. For the man who wrote these words, as a young man keeping sheep, to a soldier who joined the king's army to fight wars, to a king that then led wars, the words of today's verse mean a lot. What do you call a refuge? Two definitions suffice: 'the state of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger or difficulty.' The other is: 'a place or situation providing safety or shelter.' These definitions make it clear that you will only appreciate the value of a place or situation as a refuge when you have also experienced danger or trouble. If you have never needed help, or had any situation get out of hand, how would you appreciate the help God is able to give? Even if God intervenes, how would you recognize His hand in all that you have experienced?  You will only know the value of all that God is, does and gives, when you had been in a situation where only God could have delivered and rescued you. Have I met this God? Do I even see or acknowledge His hand in my life's situations? Do I live my life daily, in the consciousness of my helplessness, and my total dependence on this God? Or am I self-sufficient now, thinking I can make it on my own? 

The Conclusion:

Of course, the confidence in the refuge has to be based on information and knowledge of the truth about the refuge. Where else can you go for the comprehensive truth about God, outside of His Word? Where else can you get full information about the grace and mercy of God available to all who trust Him, outside the Word of God? God's Word is His manifesto; it is His CV. It is the revelation of His heart and mind to all of us. He asks us to read about Him, see his heart and hands, and learn about Him. Based on the information you garner, you are able to make an informed choice, free from the influence of anyone or anything else. He makes it clear that you have the power to decide where you would anchor your hope. By the fact of creation, we are eternal beings, looking forward to our eternal reality. What you look forward to defines how you wait for it. If it is with God, you know what He demands. If it is the devil, you also know what he demands. For David, his hope was anchored on the Lord, and we know how he ended. What is your hope anchored on? Eternity is too long a time not to be sure of where you will spend it. God's time of favour is here.