Thoughts for the Day

Song of Trust in God. To the leader. Of David.

In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to me,
‘Flee like a bird to the mountains;
for look, the wicked bend the bow,
they have fitted their arrow to the string,
to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart.
If the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?’

The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold, his gaze examines humankind.
The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
and his soul hates the lover of violence.
On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and sulphur;
a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

All of us at some time or other need a refuge. At present the people of Gaza desperately need somewhere safe to rest and hide from the missiles raining down on them. At other times a refuge might be used when families seek shelter from a storm, or perhaps from domestic abuse. Think of the refuge built on the causeway off Lindisfarne where the sea catches out motorists each year, who have to climb the steps to safety. Sometimes, though we need a refuge from life itself and will go on a holiday somewhere special. At other times we need a retreat to recharge our spiritual batteries, and there are many of these around the world.

In David's case he has been advised to flee to safety, to seek a refuge from the present threat that will likely kill him - either an assassination attempt, or perhaps because the city is under attack! But serious thought makes him realise that this advice is false advice, since he can just as easily be killed in the dark as he flees to so called place of safety. Another thought might have been the effect on the people if their leader flees.

Second thoughts make David rethink the advice, and to put his trust in God. He recites what is almost a Creed:

"The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold, his gaze examines humankind.
The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
and his soul hates the lover of violence."

↠ Conclusion: Put your trust in God and in His plans, even when tempted to do otherwise.

Lord Jesus Christ,
when life becomes unbearable,
when we have tried every solution
and when we cannot sleep for worrying,
give us the strength to stop fretting
and turn to You.
May we learn to put all our trust
in Your plans for our loved ones,
for our world, and for ourselves,
and listen for Your gentle words of wisdom,
rather than rely on our often hasty plans.
Amen.