Psalm 9:9 – “The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”

As I prayed, read, and mused on the Word of God today, the Word ‘Refuge’ followed me from passage to passage.  Psalm 9:9 refers to a’refuge’ in difficulty.   What is a refuge?

The Hebrew is ‘misgab’ from ‘sagab.’   Misgab = refuge, shelter, high tower.   Sagab = a high, lofty, inaccessible place.   God, as our refuge, describes a place or condition inaccessible to the enemy or difficulty.   A place of ultimate protection and peace.

That’s good, but how do we get there?    Psalm 15 gives the answer.   We walk (live uprightly), be totally truthful (have truth filling our hearts – out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks).   We do not use deception, which would mean we don’t get deceived.  The deceived deceive others unintentionally because they are deceived.  Be honest, kind, and thoughtful.  Be horrified by sin and worship God.  Be generous.

Psalm 5:3 provides guidance on how to begin each day (First order of business: prayer).  Praise, gratitude, honor, and surrender are all elements involved in attaining God’s REFUGE.  The presence of God opens portals to heaven.

Revelation 4 appears almost simultaneous: John saw the portal, was in the spirit, and entered.  John saw what heaven’s reality is, although not yet on the earth.  God is not limited by dimensions or time.  He is past, present, and future all the time.   This timeless, limitless Creator is our REFUGE.   He sees what was, is, and will be, and He is there.  Things surprise us, but He has already been there; He is there!   This God is our place of inaccessible protection.  He is our Pavilion tent in the midst of battle.  He IS whatever we need whenever we need it.

We have a REFUGE who is alive, and no enemy can reach us there!   Therefore, do not fear, worry, or fret.  He Does Not Fail.