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I love the Psalms

~ Connecting daily with God through the Psalms

I love the Psalms

Tag Archives: refuge

Be my Rock of Refuge

14 Wednesday Oct 2020

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 71, Psalms

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

God's faithfulness, refuge, Rock, rock of refuge

Reading: Psalm 71
(Verses 1-8)
In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.
For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD,
my confidence since my youth.
From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you.
I have become a sign to many;
you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long
(NIV).*

Rock 20200928_1227582_2

Rock and trees, Gatineau Park — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
I must confess that I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with rocks. I grew up on a farm on the Canadian prairies and annually the rich soil produced two crops—a crop of grain and a crop of rocks. Grain crops such as wheat, barley and oats were welcomed—the rocks not so much.

Simply working the soil in spring would bring the rocks to the surface. It was our job as children to help our dad to pick those rocks and haul them off the fields. For the most part it was tedious work. That’s the unpleasant part of my relationship with rocks. But as for the rocks themselves, for the most part I liked them. They came in a huge variety of shapes, colors, sizes and textures. I found them fascinating. 

For the psalmist, the LORD was his solid foundation—his rock of refuge in a changing world. Hear his prayer: Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 

In the shifting circumstances of life, it is essential that we have those things that remain solid and unwavering. From our childhood onward, we need a rock of refuge from the storms of life—a rock to which we can always go in good times and bad.

It’s wonderful when we can say with the psalmist, “From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.”

Response: LORD God, thank you for being my solid rock. Your faithfulness has steadied me in stormy times. You have been my help and strength, my shelter and fortress. Amen.

Your Turn: How has the Lord been a solid rock for you?

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Some good news: The first volume of 365 Days through the Psalms by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in November, 2020, by Elk Lake Publishing. Two additional volumes will follow in 2021 to complete the three volume set of devotions from the Psalms.

Be My Rock of Refuge

04 Sunday Oct 2020

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 71, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

fortress, refuge, rock of refuge

I will praise the LORD!

Green's CrK Point 20200926

Green’s Creek Point — photo by David Kitz

  (Psalm 71:1-4, NIV)*

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;     turn your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge,     to which I can always go; give the command to save me,     for you are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

In You I Take Refuge

03 Thursday Sep 2020

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 57, Psalms

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

disaster, mercy of God, Psalm 57, refuge, wings

Today’s Key Verse from the Psalms.
Psalm 57_1

Where is your place of refuge?

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An Ever-Present Help

06 Thursday Aug 2020

Tags

refuge, rock of refuge, strength, trouble

Psalm 46_1

Posted by davidkitz | Filed under Bible, Psalm 46, Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

Listen to my Prayer

18 Saturday Jul 2020

Posted by davidkitz in Bible, Psalm 61, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

praise the LORD, Prayer, refuge, Rock, strong tower

I will praise the LORD!

img_20200701_1034433

Hear my cry, O God;
    listen to my prayer.

From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;
    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
    a strong tower against the foe.

  (Psalm 61:1-3, NIV)*

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

God Sends forth His Love

05 Sunday Jul 2020

Posted by davidkitz in Bible, Psalm 57, Psalms

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

God's faithfulness, God's love, mercy, refuge

I will praise the LORD!

img_20200614_0750454-effects

Wild roses — photo by David Kitz

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
    for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
    until the disaster has passed.

I cry out to God Most High,
    to God, who vindicates me.
He sends from heaven and saves me,
    rebuking those who hotly pursue me—
    God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

  (Psalm 57:1-3, NIV)*

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

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Taste and See the LORD

16 Tuesday Jun 2020

Tags

refuge, taste, the LORD

Psalm 34-8 (2)

Posted by davidkitz | Filed under Psalm 34, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Be my Rock of Refuge

27 Wednesday May 2020

Posted by davidkitz in Devotions, Psalm 31, Psalms

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

fortress, Jesus, refuge, Rock, rock of refuge

Reading: Psalm 31
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
(Verses 1-5)
In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, L
ORD, my faithful God (NIV).*

Perce

The pierced rock, Perce, Quebec — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
We all need a place of refuge. Here as David begins Psalm 31, he pleads with God to hear him, and become a rock of refuge for him. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 

David spent many of his early years fleeing from King Saul. At other times the Philistines were a threat. There were many occasions in which David needed a fortress—a rock of refuge from his enemies. Often he found himself calling out for the LORD to rescue him.

Are we any different? We may not have physical enemies who are seeking to kill us, but in the spiritual realm the demonic forces of hell are constantly seeking opportunities to trip us up, so that they can launch their vicious assault. Trouble and affliction comes to every human life. We are not immune simply because we have put our faith in Christ. We too need a safe place—a rock of refuge.

But the rock to which we flee is not an inanimate object, fixed and unmoving. No, we come to the living rock which is Christ. He travels with us on this earthly pilgrimage. The apostle, Paul reminds us that even the people of Israel wandering in the wilderness were not alone. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:3-4).   

The veins of that rock were opened wide for us. Jesus bled and died so that we could experience new life and complete forgiveness. As he hung dying, Jesus called out to his Father with the words of this psalm, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Now daily that living rock accompanies you. He is the fount of forgiveness and a sure refuge in a time of need. Have you put your trust in him for your salvation now and in eternity?

Response: LORD God, I thank you for Jesus. You alone are my rock and my eternal fortress. Guide my spirit into the right path today. Keep me safe from the traps of the enemy. I trust in you. Amen.

Your Turn: Is Jesus your living rock? Why is the analogy of Jesus as a rock a comfort to you?

rnational Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica* New Inte

This post by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in book format later in 2020 by Elk Lake Publishing under the title 365 Days through the Psalms.

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Trust in Him

30 Thursday Apr 2020

Tags

refuge, trust in God

Psalm 62-8

Posted by davidkitz | Filed under Psalm 62, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

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His Way Is Perfect

15 Wednesday Apr 2020

Tags

God's word, perfect, refuge, word of God

Psalm 18-30

Posted by davidkitz | Filed under Psalm 18, Psalms

≈ 5 Comments

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