Taking Refuge

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.” (Jeremiah 17:21 NLT)

Blessing comes by position. When we’ve put ourselves under the banner of Christ, when we’ve intentionally placed our hope and confidence in Him, we share in His victory.

We can’t share His shadow if we aren’t close. And we can’t come close without first exerting hope and confidence. They are crucial factors in the cultivation of intimacy. Our hope in Christ must grow large enough to eclipse all lesser hopes and our confidence must grow strong enough to abandon self-sufficiency. It is this strengthening belief-surrender that sends us close to Christ, near enough that His wins become our wins because we have lost ourselves in Him. Well, lose our ‘self’ and become our truest ‘self’ – returning to the original Garden variety of us. This true ‘self’ lives with pure motives and a strong habit of walking with God each day.

“Blessed is the One who takes refuge in Him.” (Psalm 34:8 NLT)

Near to God is the safest, blessedest place to be.

This morning this scripture sends a childhood song back into my heart. Of course, it’s written from Psalm 91, which echoes the sentiments of today’s texts.

“You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord
Who abide in His shadow for life
Say to the Lord ‘my Refuge,
My Rock in Whom I trust.’“

I well remember the first time I sang this song, still in pigtails and patent leather mary janes. It’s haunting melody has long held it’s place as my very favorite catholic hymn. So much so, that we chose it for my father’s funeral. He had died of injuries from a major motor vehicle accident so the lyrics may have seemed ironic to those with a weaker theology about death. But I knew, though my father’s physical body had been caught up in the fowler’s snare, his soul had made it home safe and sound. He was covered in the shadow, ready to dwell forever in the shelter of the Lord.

I couldn’t bring myself to sing it that May afternoon, when we stood gathered around his closed casket, but I did believe it with all my being. And as my aunts and uncles lifted their voices, I could hear my father’s strong tenor above them all. For a brief moment, I was five or seven again, standing on the kneeler to be just a smidge closer to my dad’s towering height, admiring my his song to our Savior.

Lord, may we all be caught up in Your shadow. Grow our hope as we learn to trust in You entirely. Help us abandon self-sufficiency and instead, find You to be all-sufficient. Let us live gladly and wholly surrendered to You. Amen.