Refuge In The Lord (Psalm 71:1)

 

Monday, July 28, 2025

Psalm 71

2 Samuel 10

John 8:31-47

Refuge In The Lord (Psalm 71:1)

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame!

As a clergyman, I am spoiled with the various conferences, retreats, and gatherings put on by my colleagues. This job can get lonely, and so we all try to do our bit in seeing each other regularly. But this loneliness can threaten any Christian. We live in a world filled with different ideas on spirituality, and all of us can often find ourselves in situations where we are the only one who knows the Lord and his great love. That loneliness may not even be because of our faith; any number of reasons can cause us to feel alone. Our personality type, or station in life, or even geographical location can hold loneliness lurking around the corner.

This morning, we hear the Psalmist cry out in loneliness because the whole world is against them. The Psalmist has enemies plotting against them; they have seen many troubles and calamities. They are in the depths of the earth.

Yet even amongst all this, the Lord is their refuge. There is One who is on their side. One who loves them, and thinks so highly of them that he will raise them up, increase their greatness, and comfort them.

No matter what happens in life, no matter who or where we are, no matter the people around us, the Lord is our refuge, and we will never be put to shame. From the womb up to the grey hairs of our old age, the Lord will not be far; he makes haste to help us.

Do you have anyone you can reliably turn to for support when you feel lonely? What do you think might be the interplay between human loneliness and the constant presence of the divine?

O God, our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you: make speed to save us. O Lord, in your glory we are never put to shame: make haste to help us.