Refuge

I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. O fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want. The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Psalm 34:4-10

Over the past week I like you most likely have read several articles on the state of the Coronavirus pandemic, each more or less saying the same thing: while case rates continue to grow exponentially around the world, more and more societies seem to be saying “enough is enough” and moving on with some version of "normal life". And while I undoubtedly understand the sentiment, and understand many of the arguments in favor of this opinion, I do want to point one thing out: weariness with the burden of a situation and the exhaustion it brings is not the same thing as relief or true refuge.

It seems that this weariness from the burden of sickness has left us as a society desperate for relief. Especially if you live an affluent middle-class existence, likely suffering (or the threat of suffering) at such a scale is something you’ve never encountered prior to this moment. Yet as the demonstrations and protests of recent weeks have reminded us all, there is a voice of the oppressed that has been marginalized and devalued for centuries, and if we have ears to listen, that voice can teach us all what it means to long for the salvation and refuge that God gives.

In this psalm, David finds himself in need of God’s intervention. He speaks with raw vulnerability, acknowledging that his heart is filled with fear and worry. And yet, in the midst of his doubts and confusion he wills himself to take a step forward in faith, moving towards the Lord in his time of great trouble.

Just because the Lord is a refuge and salvation of trouble does not mean it is automatic that we will enter into the safety He offers. While David speaks objective truth about the mercy and compassion of God, he also realizes he must actively enter into the rest of God and intentionally pursue places of peace. As he says in verse 10, “Those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.”

The abundant life with God requires that we not only believe that He is good but that we act upon that belief with faith and obedience. In times of weariness, sickness, and social unrest, the temptation is often to turn inward and hope the storm will soon pass. Instead, we must have the clarity of heart and mind to look into the chaos of the storm, and pass through it in peace as we look to the Lord for our deliverance.