Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, There shall no evil befall you...
“I also will set My face against that man [opposing him, withdrawing My protection from him, and excluding him from My covenant] and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given of his children to Molech, defiling My sanctuary and profaning My holy name.” (Leviticus 20:3)
“No weapon formed against me will prosper” sings as it is 3:33 pm.
Through the covenant of God, we have His divine protection. So what does it mean to have His protection?
For Job, it meant that Satan could not harm Job, his family, or his possessions without God's permission -when it could be used for Job's good. In Job, Satan complains to God about the hedge of protection that He has placed around Job. Satan tells God, “Have You not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side?” (Job 1:10)
God allowed Satan to attack Job but it was only for a specific time, for a specific purpose, and God determined where the line was drawn. In Job 1:12, God told Satan, “Behold, all that he has in in your power, only upon the man himself put not forth your hand.” Ultimately, the purposes of God were accomplished for Job's good. Job's suffering resulted in his repentance (Job 42:3) and knowing God in a way that He was never able before (Job 42:5).
God promises in Leviticus 26 that if we walk in His statutes and keep His commands (vs. 3) that we will not be devoured by our enemy or filled with dread (vs. 6). He promises, “And you shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Five of you shall chase a hundred and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. For I will be leaning toward you with favor and regard for you, rendering you fruitful, multiplying you, and establishing and ratifying My covenant with you.” (vs. 7-9)
It is only in God that we will find true protection. Psalm 121:1-8 says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you-the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm-he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
“No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand” sings.
Over and over in the psalms David requests and praises God for protection against his enemies. Psalm 18:3 says, I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”
Saved is the Hebrew word yasha, Strongs #3467, which means to deliver help, liberate, save, deliver, and to give the victory to. [1] When we are attacked by our enemies, God promises to rescue us and deliver us in it, giving us the victory.
Commentary notes, “References to God as a mountain fortress that protects the believer are found many times in the Psalms (91:1–3; 144:1). This is a particularly apt image for David, who many times had to hide in the mountains for security (1 Sam. 26:1, 20). The words strength and stronghold reinforce the image of God as Protector. The horn symbolized strength.” [2]
While David was running from Saul and hiding in caves, God protected David from being hunted down and murdered by Saul. God also protected David in the midst of his encounters with Saul. When David encountered Saul and tried to reason with him and prove his innocence, Saul acknowledged he was wrong and turned back.
The Wikipedia notes about the second encounter between Saul and David in the wilderness, “On the second occasion Saul returns to Ziph with his men. When David hears of this he sneaks into Saul's camp by night, and thrusts his spear into the ground near where Saul is sleeping. David prevents his associates from killing Saul because of a taboo against killing an anointed king, and merely steals Saul's spear and water jug. The next day, David stands at the top of a slope opposite to Saul's camp, and shouts that he had been in Saul's camp the previous night (using the spear and jug as proof).” [3]
Saul then confesses his suspicions against David were false and sin. 1 Samuel 26:21 says, “Then said Saul, I have sinned, Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have erred exceedingly.”
Proverbs 2:8 says, “for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.”
The Hebrew word here is shamar, Strongs #8104, which means to preserve, keep watch, guard or save. [4] It is the same word David uses in Psalm 116:6 when he proclaims, “The LORD protects the simple-hearted; when I was in great need, He saved me.”
“Nobody saves like You, nobody stays like You, Nobody loves me like You do Jesus” sings.
This protection spans into eternity. David proclaims in Psalm 37:28, “For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.”
Commentary notes, “All who have been born again through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can know on the authority of the Word of God that they are saved forever.
F. W. Dixon wrote:
I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by the day. Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot.
Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness -trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.”
God never promises to keep us from our enemies, rather He purposefully places us in the midst of our enemies so that we can grow in likeness to Him and learn to possess the land. In the midst of our enemies, our cup overflows with His goodness. (Psalm 23:5)
“I'm gonna rise up and call myself blessed” sings.
Francis Frangipane writes, “Just as He allowed Joseph to go through many trials, so He allows us to go through great conflicts as well. For He knows that our lives -what we have become through His grace -will help others find the shelter of the the Most High God in their lives.” [6][a]
While God doesn't keep us from difficulty, He blesses us immensely in the midst of it as we turn to Him. We can trust that whatever we walk through, God will be with us in it and sustain us. He is our strong protector and faithful friend. In Psalm 23:4 David proclaims, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For you are with me."
He will deliver us in the midst of it just like he did for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God did not keep them from the opportunity to worship Him in the fiery furnace, but He went in it with them and delivered them from it in the midst of the fire. And through their trial, Nebuchadnezzar and others (along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) all encountered God.
“Teach me how to worship You, don't let this just be words” sings.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego experienced difficulty because of their desire to be true to God and only worship Him. They refused to worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar set up. Because of this, Nebuchadnezzer became angry, heated the furnace seven times hotter than usual and threw them in it.
Daniel 3:23-28 says, “And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king [saw and] was astounded, and he jumped up and said to his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered, True, O king. He answered, Behold, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt! And the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods!
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, come out and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the midst of the fire.
And the satraps, the deputies, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered around together and saw these men -that the fire had no power upon their bodies, nor was the hair of their head signed; neither were their garments scorched or changed in color or condition, nor had even the smell of smoke clung to them.
Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who believed in, trusted in, and relied on Him! And they set aside the king's command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”
Through refusing to bow down to another, believing in and trusting God to deliver them or being willing to fully surrender their lives, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were saying something about who God was to them. The fiery furnace was a way for Sahdrach, Meshach and Abednego to worship God.
God is able to save us from our enemies when we turn to Him. He does not keep us from opportunities to worship Him when we desire to, but He delivers us in the midst of our struggles. Our part is to look to and lean into Him in loving adoration, trusting confidently in His love for us and kindness towards us.
David cries out in Psalm 86:2, “Preserve my life, for I am godly and dedicated; O my God, save Your servant, for I trust in You [leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, without fear or doubt].”
Too often we fail to look to God, relying on Him and are filled with fear, doubt, and ingratitude -complaining about everything that happens. Jude notes that many people in the last days will be murmurers (grumblers) who complain of their lot in life and seek to attend to their own desires (Jude 16).
Often our fears, grumbling, complaining, worrying, self-pity, and/or discouragement about difficult situations are worse than the situation itself. It makes a situation much worse than it has to be as it drains our energy and passion. It is not many waters that quench love or floods that drown it (SS 8:7), but it is our attitude and unbelief that quenches our love and passion for God.
Our attitude in most cases stems from our expectations. Too often we can fall into a false expectation that we will not experience difficulty when we are following God. Like Job before he experienced difficulties, we think that God being with us means our path is drenched with cream.
Job recalls in Job 29:5-6, “When the Almighty was yet with me and my children were about me, when my steps [through rich pasturage] were washed with butter and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!”
Sometimes our attitude results in offense, bitterness and resentments. We hold unforgiveness and grudges against others rather than being like Jesus -quick to forgive. Our negative outlook can also result in us giving up, quitting and sitting down -no longer pursuing those things God had planted in our hearts.
Hebrews 10:36 says, that we need to persevere so that when we have done the will of God, we will receive what has been promised. And Paul encouraged believers in 1 Corinthians 15:58 to be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Jesus endured great difficulties without allowing them to crush Him. He kept His heart focused on His Father and the purposes that were in His heart. Isaiah 42:4 says, “He will not fail or be crushed and discouraged till He has established justice in the earth.”
Jesus had an eternal kingdom perspective and purpose that kept him going when things became difficult. It was the 'joy set before Him” that endured the cross. He also confidently trusted in the great love His Father had for Him.
God promises us that we will not be destroyed in our difficulties when we turn to Him and trust confidently in His goodness. It is a choice to look to Him and rely on His goodness, to ignore our problems, to quit, or to try to solve our difficulties in our own strength.
An example of this is in the book of Esther where Haman plotted to kill all the Jews. When Mordecai gave a copy of the decree to destroy them to show to Esther, she had to make a choice. She could choose to ignore it and go on with her life, try to do something on her own, or turn to the king and plead with him for the lives of her people.
Eventually she decided she would turn to the king to plea for their lives and if she was to perish, she would perish (Esther 5:16). After finding that she had the king's favor when she went before him and he agreed to go to a banquet she prepared, she began to get to know His heart toward her and trust Him.
After the second time of encountering the kings heart for her, Esther revealed her problem and pleaded with him to help her. He was quick to respond to her request and sentenced Haman to be hung on the very gallows he had put up to hang Mordecai.
Zephaniah 3:12 says, “For I will leave in the midst of you a people afflicted and poor, and they shall trust, seek refuge, and be confident in the name of the Lord.”
Trust, the Hebrew word chasah, Strong’s #2620 means to trust, hope and to make someone a refuge. Commentary notes, Psalm 57:1 beautifully illustrates the verb, for it pictures David as nestling under God’s wings for refuge, in the same manner that a defenseless but trusting baby bird hides itself under its parent’s feathers (Ruth 2:12; 2 Sam. 22:3; Ps. 91:4).” [7]
“I want to make much of Your mercy” sings in the background.
In the midst of our difficulties, we nestle into the protection of God. It is through His covenant with us that we have protection. Francis Frangipane writes, “To make a covenant with someone is to enjoin ourselves in the most solemn bonds of unity. As we we said earlier, a covenant is more than a promise; it is the pledge of two lives to live as one.” [8]
Moses proclaims in Psalm 90:1, “Lord, You have been our dwelling place and our refuge in all generations [says Moses].”
David knew this hiding place well as he fled from Saul and hid in the caves. He proclaims in Psalm 57:1, “Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.”
One of the calamities that David received shelter from was slanderers... “the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues are sharp swords.” (Psalm 57:4)
David did not need to stand up and fight for himself trying to prove that accusations against him were false. Rather, he found rest from accusations in the shelter of the Most High. He let God be his judge, defender and vindicator. He did not need to put his energy into trying to maintain a reputation.
No matter the type of calamity we are struggling with, as we look to him and confidently trust in Him, we need not fear. He is in every trial and tribulation to protect us and deliver us in the midst of our struggles.
Isaiah 43:1-4 says, “But now [in spite of past judgments for Israel's sins], thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt [to the Babylonians] for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba [ a province of Ethiopia] in exchange [for your release]. Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you, I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life.”
Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17:15, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”
In the hiding place of His love, we can find rest, peace and joy amidst calamities. Deuteronomy 33:27 says, "The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, 'Destroy!'
Our place of protection is in dwelling with Him, resting in His covenant promises. In this place, we find joy in the mist of our trouble. Psalm 27:1-6 says, “The Lord is my Light and my Salvation -whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life -of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, [even then] in this will I be confident.
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock. And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.”
In this hiding place, God strengthens us and protects us from harm. Paul tells the church in 2 Thessalonians 3:4, “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”
Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:17-18 about his trial when everyone forsook him, “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the [Gospel] message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was delivered out of the jaws of the lion.
[And indeed] the Lord will certainly deliver and draw me to Himself from every assault of evil. He will preserve and bring me safe unto His heavenly Kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen (so be it).”
“A heart called to worship” sings
There have been times that I have really struggled in calamities and have grit my teeth, mumbled, grumbled and fumbled my way through difficulties while whining and complaining all the way. I think this is when I thought that I could do it all in my own strength or felt I was doing something for God (rather than Him doing something for me). During these times, I have also noticed that I have failed to praise God and be thankful but have been stuck in performance as I seek to get everything right.
However, once and awhile when I have looked to God and trusted Him, I have experienced incredible joy and gratitude in the midst of calamity. “You give me joy that's unspeakable” sings in the background.
Francis Frangipane writes, “The terms of the covenant are simple: We pledge to thank Him and adore Him in everything.” [9] At times that I have been thankful for His presence and kept my heart fixed on Him and His kingdom purposes, I have overflowed with joy and praise in the midst of difficulties. [b]
These are times I have been quick to forgive offenses rather than dwelling on them and holding a grudge. Also, not gripping hold of my desires and expectations, but letting them go and dying to myself has helped me to find rest in God. Francis Frangipane writes, “The moment we begin to pick up the cross, we enter the shelter of God. [10]
Our difficulties and troubles can actually draw us closer to God. Francis Frangipane writes, “If we faithfully seek the Lord, adversity becomes like gasoline on our hearts' fire for God. Just to survive, we are driven deeper into the blaze of His presence.” [11]
“You are beautiful” sings in the background.
He is beautiful. And He is worthy of all we have to pour at His feet, including our willingness to suffer through difficulties with a heart desire to glorify Him in it and through it. If we can see the invitation, our difficulties can be an incredible gift and opportunity to worship Him in ways where words can't express what we think of Him.
Lord, forgive me for the many times I have grit my teeth and struggled through difficulties with an ungrateful heart and thankless and complaining attitude. Forgive me where I have been overcome with fear rather than leaned in and trusted in Your love for me and goodness to me. I long to worship You with all of my life.
You are beautiful. I am so grateful for Your covenant of love and protection. Through everything, You never let go. Would you help us find our shelter from the storms and calamities in life in Your secret hiding place? Be our refuge and be our strength in all we face. Fill our hearts with worship of You. And remind us of Your love for us so that we can lean confidently into it as we head into the wind.
a. So often, we can think of prosperity as having to do with our circumstances. If we are given what we want and all things in our life align for our betterment, we think we are prospering. Looking at Joseph's circumstance in this light, it hardly seemed that he was prospering. However, the word David is using in Psalm 37:11 for prosperity is actually, shalom (Strongs #7965) which means peace, contentment, or peace in relationships. God gave Jacob peace toward his brothers, and all those who wrongfully treated him, in the midst of his suffering.
As Joseph trusted in the Lord and did good no matter his circumstances, he was given peace in the midst of turmoil all around him. And as he delighted himself in the Lord during his trials and difficulties, he was given the desires of his heart – a deeper relationship with God. His relationship with God had become so prevalent in Joseph's life while he was suffering in the dungeon that Pharaoh asked, 'Can we find anyone like this man, one whom is the spirit of God?” (Gen. 42:38)
Taken from my blog entry 3/30/10
b. Paul gives an example of trusting confidently in God and keeping his eyes towards His eternal purposes while suffering through difficulties in 2 Corinthians 4:8-18
“We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair; We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed;
Always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to the same putting to death that the Lord Jesus suffered, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced through our flesh which is liable to death. Thus death is actively at work in us, but [it is in order that our] life [may be actively at work] in you.
Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, I have believed, and therefore have I spoken. We too believe, and therefore we speak. Assured that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up also with Jesus and bring us [along] with you into His presence.
For all [these] things are [taking place] for your sake, so that the more grace (driven favor and spiritual blessing) extends to more and more people and multiplies through the many, the more thanksgiving may increase [and redound] to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.
For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!]
Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeingt), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.”
1. Strong, James: The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible : Showing Every Word of the Text of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order. electronic ed. Ontario : Woodside Bible Fellowship., 1996, S. H3467
2. Radmacher, Earl D. ; Allen, Ronald Barclay ; House, H. Wayne: Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1999, S. Ps 18:2-3
3. Wikipedia. Saul. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul. Last Accessed: 9/18/11.
4. Strong, James: The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible : Showing Every Word of the Text of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order. electronic ed. Ontario : Woodside Bible Fellowship., 1996, S. H8104
5. MacDonald, William ; Farstad, Arthur: Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995, S. Ps 37:28
6., 8-11. Frangipane, Francis. Shelter Of The Most High: Living your life under the divine protection of God. Charisma House, Lake Mary, FL. 2008
7. Hayford, Jack W. ; Thomas Nelson Publishers: Hayford's Bible Handbook. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995
“No weapon formed against me will prosper” sings as it is 3:33 pm.
Through the covenant of God, we have His divine protection. So what does it mean to have His protection?
For Job, it meant that Satan could not harm Job, his family, or his possessions without God's permission -when it could be used for Job's good. In Job, Satan complains to God about the hedge of protection that He has placed around Job. Satan tells God, “Have You not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side?” (Job 1:10)
God allowed Satan to attack Job but it was only for a specific time, for a specific purpose, and God determined where the line was drawn. In Job 1:12, God told Satan, “Behold, all that he has in in your power, only upon the man himself put not forth your hand.” Ultimately, the purposes of God were accomplished for Job's good. Job's suffering resulted in his repentance (Job 42:3) and knowing God in a way that He was never able before (Job 42:5).
God promises in Leviticus 26 that if we walk in His statutes and keep His commands (vs. 3) that we will not be devoured by our enemy or filled with dread (vs. 6). He promises, “And you shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Five of you shall chase a hundred and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. For I will be leaning toward you with favor and regard for you, rendering you fruitful, multiplying you, and establishing and ratifying My covenant with you.” (vs. 7-9)
It is only in God that we will find true protection. Psalm 121:1-8 says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you-the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm-he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
“No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand” sings.
Over and over in the psalms David requests and praises God for protection against his enemies. Psalm 18:3 says, I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”
Saved is the Hebrew word yasha, Strongs #3467, which means to deliver help, liberate, save, deliver, and to give the victory to. [1] When we are attacked by our enemies, God promises to rescue us and deliver us in it, giving us the victory.
Commentary notes, “References to God as a mountain fortress that protects the believer are found many times in the Psalms (91:1–3; 144:1). This is a particularly apt image for David, who many times had to hide in the mountains for security (1 Sam. 26:1, 20). The words strength and stronghold reinforce the image of God as Protector. The horn symbolized strength.” [2]
While David was running from Saul and hiding in caves, God protected David from being hunted down and murdered by Saul. God also protected David in the midst of his encounters with Saul. When David encountered Saul and tried to reason with him and prove his innocence, Saul acknowledged he was wrong and turned back.
The Wikipedia notes about the second encounter between Saul and David in the wilderness, “On the second occasion Saul returns to Ziph with his men. When David hears of this he sneaks into Saul's camp by night, and thrusts his spear into the ground near where Saul is sleeping. David prevents his associates from killing Saul because of a taboo against killing an anointed king, and merely steals Saul's spear and water jug. The next day, David stands at the top of a slope opposite to Saul's camp, and shouts that he had been in Saul's camp the previous night (using the spear and jug as proof).” [3]
Saul then confesses his suspicions against David were false and sin. 1 Samuel 26:21 says, “Then said Saul, I have sinned, Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have erred exceedingly.”
Proverbs 2:8 says, “for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.”
The Hebrew word here is shamar, Strongs #8104, which means to preserve, keep watch, guard or save. [4] It is the same word David uses in Psalm 116:6 when he proclaims, “The LORD protects the simple-hearted; when I was in great need, He saved me.”
“Nobody saves like You, nobody stays like You, Nobody loves me like You do Jesus” sings.
This protection spans into eternity. David proclaims in Psalm 37:28, “For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.”
Commentary notes, “All who have been born again through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can know on the authority of the Word of God that they are saved forever.
F. W. Dixon wrote:
'If you lack assurance there is only one way to gain it or regain it—take the Word of God. Take it and believe it. God says you are His; that you are safe and absolutely secure, and that He will never let you go; take a large dose of that.'” [5]David paints a picture of resting in the place of God's divine protection in Psalm 91. He writes, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].
I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by the day. Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot.
Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness -trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.”
God never promises to keep us from our enemies, rather He purposefully places us in the midst of our enemies so that we can grow in likeness to Him and learn to possess the land. In the midst of our enemies, our cup overflows with His goodness. (Psalm 23:5)
“I'm gonna rise up and call myself blessed” sings.
Francis Frangipane writes, “Just as He allowed Joseph to go through many trials, so He allows us to go through great conflicts as well. For He knows that our lives -what we have become through His grace -will help others find the shelter of the the Most High God in their lives.” [6][a]
While God doesn't keep us from difficulty, He blesses us immensely in the midst of it as we turn to Him. We can trust that whatever we walk through, God will be with us in it and sustain us. He is our strong protector and faithful friend. In Psalm 23:4 David proclaims, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For you are with me."
He will deliver us in the midst of it just like he did for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God did not keep them from the opportunity to worship Him in the fiery furnace, but He went in it with them and delivered them from it in the midst of the fire. And through their trial, Nebuchadnezzar and others (along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) all encountered God.
“Teach me how to worship You, don't let this just be words” sings.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego experienced difficulty because of their desire to be true to God and only worship Him. They refused to worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar set up. Because of this, Nebuchadnezzer became angry, heated the furnace seven times hotter than usual and threw them in it.
Daniel 3:23-28 says, “And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king [saw and] was astounded, and he jumped up and said to his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered, True, O king. He answered, Behold, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt! And the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods!
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, come out and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the midst of the fire.
And the satraps, the deputies, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered around together and saw these men -that the fire had no power upon their bodies, nor was the hair of their head signed; neither were their garments scorched or changed in color or condition, nor had even the smell of smoke clung to them.
Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who believed in, trusted in, and relied on Him! And they set aside the king's command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”
Through refusing to bow down to another, believing in and trusting God to deliver them or being willing to fully surrender their lives, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were saying something about who God was to them. The fiery furnace was a way for Sahdrach, Meshach and Abednego to worship God.
God is able to save us from our enemies when we turn to Him. He does not keep us from opportunities to worship Him when we desire to, but He delivers us in the midst of our struggles. Our part is to look to and lean into Him in loving adoration, trusting confidently in His love for us and kindness towards us.
David cries out in Psalm 86:2, “Preserve my life, for I am godly and dedicated; O my God, save Your servant, for I trust in You [leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, without fear or doubt].”
Too often we fail to look to God, relying on Him and are filled with fear, doubt, and ingratitude -complaining about everything that happens. Jude notes that many people in the last days will be murmurers (grumblers) who complain of their lot in life and seek to attend to their own desires (Jude 16).
Often our fears, grumbling, complaining, worrying, self-pity, and/or discouragement about difficult situations are worse than the situation itself. It makes a situation much worse than it has to be as it drains our energy and passion. It is not many waters that quench love or floods that drown it (SS 8:7), but it is our attitude and unbelief that quenches our love and passion for God.
Our attitude in most cases stems from our expectations. Too often we can fall into a false expectation that we will not experience difficulty when we are following God. Like Job before he experienced difficulties, we think that God being with us means our path is drenched with cream.
Job recalls in Job 29:5-6, “When the Almighty was yet with me and my children were about me, when my steps [through rich pasturage] were washed with butter and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!”
Sometimes our attitude results in offense, bitterness and resentments. We hold unforgiveness and grudges against others rather than being like Jesus -quick to forgive. Our negative outlook can also result in us giving up, quitting and sitting down -no longer pursuing those things God had planted in our hearts.
Hebrews 10:36 says, that we need to persevere so that when we have done the will of God, we will receive what has been promised. And Paul encouraged believers in 1 Corinthians 15:58 to be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Jesus endured great difficulties without allowing them to crush Him. He kept His heart focused on His Father and the purposes that were in His heart. Isaiah 42:4 says, “He will not fail or be crushed and discouraged till He has established justice in the earth.”
Jesus had an eternal kingdom perspective and purpose that kept him going when things became difficult. It was the 'joy set before Him” that endured the cross. He also confidently trusted in the great love His Father had for Him.
God promises us that we will not be destroyed in our difficulties when we turn to Him and trust confidently in His goodness. It is a choice to look to Him and rely on His goodness, to ignore our problems, to quit, or to try to solve our difficulties in our own strength.
An example of this is in the book of Esther where Haman plotted to kill all the Jews. When Mordecai gave a copy of the decree to destroy them to show to Esther, she had to make a choice. She could choose to ignore it and go on with her life, try to do something on her own, or turn to the king and plead with him for the lives of her people.
Eventually she decided she would turn to the king to plea for their lives and if she was to perish, she would perish (Esther 5:16). After finding that she had the king's favor when she went before him and he agreed to go to a banquet she prepared, she began to get to know His heart toward her and trust Him.
After the second time of encountering the kings heart for her, Esther revealed her problem and pleaded with him to help her. He was quick to respond to her request and sentenced Haman to be hung on the very gallows he had put up to hang Mordecai.
Zephaniah 3:12 says, “For I will leave in the midst of you a people afflicted and poor, and they shall trust, seek refuge, and be confident in the name of the Lord.”
Trust, the Hebrew word chasah, Strong’s #2620 means to trust, hope and to make someone a refuge. Commentary notes, Psalm 57:1 beautifully illustrates the verb, for it pictures David as nestling under God’s wings for refuge, in the same manner that a defenseless but trusting baby bird hides itself under its parent’s feathers (Ruth 2:12; 2 Sam. 22:3; Ps. 91:4).” [7]
“I want to make much of Your mercy” sings in the background.
In the midst of our difficulties, we nestle into the protection of God. It is through His covenant with us that we have protection. Francis Frangipane writes, “To make a covenant with someone is to enjoin ourselves in the most solemn bonds of unity. As we we said earlier, a covenant is more than a promise; it is the pledge of two lives to live as one.” [8]
Moses proclaims in Psalm 90:1, “Lord, You have been our dwelling place and our refuge in all generations [says Moses].”
David knew this hiding place well as he fled from Saul and hid in the caves. He proclaims in Psalm 57:1, “Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.”
One of the calamities that David received shelter from was slanderers... “the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues are sharp swords.” (Psalm 57:4)
David did not need to stand up and fight for himself trying to prove that accusations against him were false. Rather, he found rest from accusations in the shelter of the Most High. He let God be his judge, defender and vindicator. He did not need to put his energy into trying to maintain a reputation.
No matter the type of calamity we are struggling with, as we look to him and confidently trust in Him, we need not fear. He is in every trial and tribulation to protect us and deliver us in the midst of our struggles.
Isaiah 43:1-4 says, “But now [in spite of past judgments for Israel's sins], thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt [to the Babylonians] for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba [ a province of Ethiopia] in exchange [for your release]. Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you, I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life.”
Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17:15, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”
In the hiding place of His love, we can find rest, peace and joy amidst calamities. Deuteronomy 33:27 says, "The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, 'Destroy!'
Our place of protection is in dwelling with Him, resting in His covenant promises. In this place, we find joy in the mist of our trouble. Psalm 27:1-6 says, “The Lord is my Light and my Salvation -whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life -of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, [even then] in this will I be confident.
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock. And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.”
In this hiding place, God strengthens us and protects us from harm. Paul tells the church in 2 Thessalonians 3:4, “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”
Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:17-18 about his trial when everyone forsook him, “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the [Gospel] message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was delivered out of the jaws of the lion.
[And indeed] the Lord will certainly deliver and draw me to Himself from every assault of evil. He will preserve and bring me safe unto His heavenly Kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen (so be it).”
“A heart called to worship” sings
There have been times that I have really struggled in calamities and have grit my teeth, mumbled, grumbled and fumbled my way through difficulties while whining and complaining all the way. I think this is when I thought that I could do it all in my own strength or felt I was doing something for God (rather than Him doing something for me). During these times, I have also noticed that I have failed to praise God and be thankful but have been stuck in performance as I seek to get everything right.
However, once and awhile when I have looked to God and trusted Him, I have experienced incredible joy and gratitude in the midst of calamity. “You give me joy that's unspeakable” sings in the background.
Francis Frangipane writes, “The terms of the covenant are simple: We pledge to thank Him and adore Him in everything.” [9] At times that I have been thankful for His presence and kept my heart fixed on Him and His kingdom purposes, I have overflowed with joy and praise in the midst of difficulties. [b]
These are times I have been quick to forgive offenses rather than dwelling on them and holding a grudge. Also, not gripping hold of my desires and expectations, but letting them go and dying to myself has helped me to find rest in God. Francis Frangipane writes, “The moment we begin to pick up the cross, we enter the shelter of God. [10]
Our difficulties and troubles can actually draw us closer to God. Francis Frangipane writes, “If we faithfully seek the Lord, adversity becomes like gasoline on our hearts' fire for God. Just to survive, we are driven deeper into the blaze of His presence.” [11]
“You are beautiful” sings in the background.
He is beautiful. And He is worthy of all we have to pour at His feet, including our willingness to suffer through difficulties with a heart desire to glorify Him in it and through it. If we can see the invitation, our difficulties can be an incredible gift and opportunity to worship Him in ways where words can't express what we think of Him.
Lord, forgive me for the many times I have grit my teeth and struggled through difficulties with an ungrateful heart and thankless and complaining attitude. Forgive me where I have been overcome with fear rather than leaned in and trusted in Your love for me and goodness to me. I long to worship You with all of my life.
You are beautiful. I am so grateful for Your covenant of love and protection. Through everything, You never let go. Would you help us find our shelter from the storms and calamities in life in Your secret hiding place? Be our refuge and be our strength in all we face. Fill our hearts with worship of You. And remind us of Your love for us so that we can lean confidently into it as we head into the wind.
a. So often, we can think of prosperity as having to do with our circumstances. If we are given what we want and all things in our life align for our betterment, we think we are prospering. Looking at Joseph's circumstance in this light, it hardly seemed that he was prospering. However, the word David is using in Psalm 37:11 for prosperity is actually, shalom (Strongs #7965) which means peace, contentment, or peace in relationships. God gave Jacob peace toward his brothers, and all those who wrongfully treated him, in the midst of his suffering.
As Joseph trusted in the Lord and did good no matter his circumstances, he was given peace in the midst of turmoil all around him. And as he delighted himself in the Lord during his trials and difficulties, he was given the desires of his heart – a deeper relationship with God. His relationship with God had become so prevalent in Joseph's life while he was suffering in the dungeon that Pharaoh asked, 'Can we find anyone like this man, one whom is the spirit of God?” (Gen. 42:38)
Taken from my blog entry 3/30/10
b. Paul gives an example of trusting confidently in God and keeping his eyes towards His eternal purposes while suffering through difficulties in 2 Corinthians 4:8-18
“We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair; We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed;
Always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to the same putting to death that the Lord Jesus suffered, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced through our flesh which is liable to death. Thus death is actively at work in us, but [it is in order that our] life [may be actively at work] in you.
Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, I have believed, and therefore have I spoken. We too believe, and therefore we speak. Assured that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up also with Jesus and bring us [along] with you into His presence.
For all [these] things are [taking place] for your sake, so that the more grace (driven favor and spiritual blessing) extends to more and more people and multiplies through the many, the more thanksgiving may increase [and redound] to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.
For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!]
Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeingt), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.”
1. Strong, James: The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible : Showing Every Word of the Text of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order. electronic ed. Ontario : Woodside Bible Fellowship., 1996, S. H3467
2. Radmacher, Earl D. ; Allen, Ronald Barclay ; House, H. Wayne: Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1999, S. Ps 18:2-3
3. Wikipedia. Saul. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul. Last Accessed: 9/18/11.
4. Strong, James: The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible : Showing Every Word of the Text of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order. electronic ed. Ontario : Woodside Bible Fellowship., 1996, S. H8104
5. MacDonald, William ; Farstad, Arthur: Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995, S. Ps 37:28
6., 8-11. Frangipane, Francis. Shelter Of The Most High: Living your life under the divine protection of God. Charisma House, Lake Mary, FL. 2008
7. Hayford, Jack W. ; Thomas Nelson Publishers: Hayford's Bible Handbook. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995
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