“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.” (Psalm 119:114)

God has given us His Written Word that we may have hope. The more we learn from His Word the more He fills us with hope. Paul says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4) We have this hope because God has given us the Scripture to point us to Jesus. This was Jesus’ correction to the Jewish leaders. “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40) The Scriptures teach us about the promise, the life, and the future of our hope found in the Living Word of God.

The Psalmist expressed what God provided for us which gives us this hope. “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.” (Psalm 119:114) He is our refuge in whom we can rely. In David’s last days, He expressed his faith in God who will always be his refuge. “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me.” (2 Samuel 22:2-3) He knew God as a refuge from his encounters with Goliath, Saul, and even his own failures. He declared, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:4-6) God was his refuge through life and forever.

Jesus would also remind us that He is our refuge. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-28) We have security in our hope as God provides us refuge in Him.

God is also our shield. He protects us. Paul tells us to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:10) He gives us His armor to protect us which we use by faith which is our shield. We are to “take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:16) As our shield, we are able to give God all our fear and He will give us His power and strength. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:7-8) As we put our faith in God, we are able to resist our enemy. “Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” (1Peter 5:9a) We stand firm through the strength God gives us. This is the heart of Paul’s preaching. “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5) This is also to the heart of our faith as we have His shield giving us the ability to stand firm in Him. Let us live our lives trusting that God is our refuge and shield.

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block