O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.

Psalm 59:17

Psalm 59 begins as David’s cry to be rescued from his enemies. He asks the Lord to punish them because of their evil ways. By the end of the psalm, however, David shifts his focus away from his enemies and towards God. He remembers how God has protected him from danger in the past. Thus he concludes this song of worship: “O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love” (59:17).

When have you experienced the strength and safety of a place of refuge? I think of how it feels to be at home during a breathtaking thunderstorm. These days, my part of Texas is in the middle of a serious drought. But, even so, during my time in Texas, we have had thunderstorms unlike anything I ever experienced in California. Thunder crashes. Lightning flashes. The wind howls. And the rain falls in buckets. Very early one morning, my family and I were awakened by a storm. We all got up and sat in our covered porch, amazed at the power of the storm. Yet we felt completely safe and secure. It was a wonderful feeling.

So it can be in our relationship with God. The more we know him and live in him, the more we will experience his protection. To be sure, there will be times of turmoil and trial. But we will know that our lives are safely held in the Lord’s powerful hands. No matter what happens to us in this life, he will never let us go. To know God as our strength is one the most sublime feelings in all of life. Like David, being safe in God’s hands leads us to sing praises to him and to live our life each day as an act of grateful worship.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: When have you experienced a place of physical refuge? Emotional refuge? Spiritual refuge? When have you felt safe in God’s hands?

PRAYER: O my Strength, how I praise you for the ways you shelter me. You have kept me from evil that I know and from evil that I shall never know. You have guided me away from temptation and into the security of your will. You hold me when I am afraid and give me courage to live boldly for you each day.

Thank you, dear Lord, for the gift of knowing you, resting in you, and living in the protection of your might. All praise be to you, O my Strength! Amen.