Psalm 119:114

Psalm 119:114

Our refuge and our shield

There are at least two kinds of defence systems that we all rely upon. The first is corporate and community based, wherever it is we belong, we expect to be protected and guarded from our enemies. That’s why countries have armies and local towns and villages have Police Forces. People are appointed and paid to look after us all and ensure our safety.

The verse before us today speaks of a much more private and personal form of security. Some folks have personal bodyguards, many of us will have looked up to an older brother or friend in the school playground who watched out for us. My father certainly took on that role when I was harassed and bullied as a child. 

Now consider this, our psalm-writer is able to claim that it is the Lord who is his refuge and shield. When enemies pursue him and evil people threaten, he has no human guardian, but he can turn to God and take refuge in Him. So, does an angel appear with a flaming sword and deadly arrows? No, but they could! What the writer knows is that he is not defenceless, for God promises in His Word that He will guard His children and will protect and care for us when we are weak, vulnerable and under attack. There are times when our enemy, the devil, is like “a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8), we may feel powerless and totally incapable of dealing with such a threat, but then we turn to the Word of God and what does it say? “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) Again, as the Apostle Paul puts it, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39. When troubles threaten and wicked men and women encroach on our borders, let’s put our hope in the promises God makes in His Word, just like the psalmist did! Hallelujah! 

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