A Better Refuge (Psalm 118:5-8)
- Gary Brewer
- Oct 31, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. ⁶The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? ⁷The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. ⁸It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. —Psalm 118:5-8
Where do your go when you're in distress? When hardships come our way we need someone stronger to intervene for us. We have no strength within ourselves, so we must call upon our Lord. Charles Spurgeon said,
Prayers which come out of distress generally come out of the heart, and therefore they go to the heart of God. It is sweet to recollect our prayers, and often profitable to tell others of them after they are heard. Prayer may be bitter in the offering, but it will be sweet in the answering. The man of God had called upon the Lord when he was not in distress, and therefore he found it natural and easy to call upon him when he was in distress. He worshipped, he praised, he prayed: for all this is included in calling upon God, even when he was in a straitened condition (The Treasury of David).
God is always attentive and active on behalf of His children even though we are so undeserving. The psalmist cried out to God and God answered him!
A God That Protects
God helps and protects us so that we may carry out His desires. We may suffer at times, but we should not fear. The psalmist asks rhetorically, What can man do to me when the Lord is on my side? How can we be afraid of mere men when we have such an Almighty God? Man can do no more to us than what God permits.
Recently I was able to send some funds to a friend in India to help his family buy food during the Covid shutdown. While buying for his own family he was burdened to help another family nearby that was in greater need, with half of the funds. God not only supplied his family’s needs when they were in great distress, He also provided for the needs of those around them.
A God That Helps
The psalmist says, “The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.” Man’s desire is to secure great allies in any conflict that may arise. Without God, our allies will fail. Only God can strengthen those who help us. And there is no greater ally than God Himself. As for those who hate us, they shall flee before our God. Christ triumphed over all on the cross.
A God That Shelters
Man will always fail us, but God will always follow through on His Word. God does far more than we ask or even think. At Calvary, Christ was not a victim, but victorious over Satan and sin. Therefore, he is our refuge. Indeed, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”
For Reflection
What have you learned about God in the midst of hardship?
Have you suffered for the Lord without fear?
Ask Him to help you take refuge in Him.
