To begin our week in wisdom we should give careful attention to what the Psalmist writes. His faith is simple but not naive. His words are easily understood but not absent of depth. What he shares rolls easily off the tongue but is as urgent as life and death. He tells us,
“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” – Psalm 62:8 {ESV}
Two commands and a promise lay before us today. I am commanded to trust in God at all times. This is somewhat challenging at times because there are fluctuating degrees of difficulty in our lives which are accompanied by varying levels of confidence in God. We prefer to feel our faith more so than to will it, yet the Psalmist appeals to our decisive ability to place our confidence in God. Sometimes we are suspicious of the Almighty – we know He is good but do we equally know that He will be good to us? People who live pain-free, comfortable and leisurely lives may assume that they live in trust of God but how may we truly know unless measured trouble is allowed to find us? The Psalmist commands us to align our eyes with the sovereign throne of Heaven and to maintain confident expectation that our great King will fulfill His plans for us. Attached to the initial command to trust God at all times is the command to pour our hearts out before Him. I have no problems with this command! Perhaps one of my most treasured delights is to know for a certain that I can come before Holy God and offer up all that is approvable from my heart along with all that is weak and unworthy. Am I delighted? Pour this before God. Do I doubt? Resist the urge to deny it and, instead, call it what it is before the God of grace. He welcomes me to offer my praise as well as He commands me to offload my pains. We need not hold back a thing and we have learned that part of the ability to trust Him at all times comes through the pouring out of our hearts before Him. His omniscient ear listens for your voice today.
Finally, the Psalmist leaves us with a mountainous promise when He asserts that God is a refuge for us. Do you know what a refuge is for? Hiding. Escaping. Protecting. Preserving. The Psalmist does not fail to understand that life offers us circumstances which motivate us to run and hide. Some hide in alcohol, others in their work. Some people seek refuge in their spouses or children. Others mistakenly believe religion to be a suitable refuge. Truth be known, their is only one Rock which is greater than any threat and that Rock is Christ. Bring to Him your weariness! Hide from the guilt and accusation of a relentless enemy by running to the refuge of your redemption! Have you sinned powerfully against your God? Well, run to Him at double-speed and let Him be your city of refuge. The promise is for all who can believe and who should be more prone to do so than those who are convinced of His grace and goodness.
Jesus Christ is your safe place. Jesus Christ is your resting place. Jesus Christ is your eternal place. Now run there!