Taking Refuge In God

Islington Baptist Church December 3, 2000

Psalm 16 Scriptures: Acts 2, Psalm 73

READ PSALM 16

I. THERE IS ONE TO WHOM WE CAN CALL FOR HELP v.1

It is with great joy that I say to you that there is one to whom we can go to for help, strength, comfort, courage, wisdom, and guidance.

No matter the trial, test, or circumstance, there is one to whom we can go and call upon—and to Him we must go.

There is one who longs for us to come to Him as a child goes to his father or mother.

Are you in trouble?

Are you discouraged?

Are you afflicted?

Are you persecuted?

Do you find yourself in despair

Draw near to God. Call upon Him for help. Take refuge in Him.

“Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” I Peter 5:7

The one who we can call upon is God. Here the term for God is “El” which is a term that identifies God to us in his role of protector, creator, and strong one.

II. THOSE WHO RECEIVE GOD’S HELP ARE THE ONES WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM. THIS IS THE GROUND/BASIS OF BEING HELPED BY GOD.

In our NKJV Bible’s we read the word “trust” in v.1. A better word is “refuge”.

The Hebrew word used here literally means “to take shelter”.

When a storm appears on the horizon, what is it that we will do if we are smart? We will take to some sort of shelter. We will find for ourselves a place of refuge.

In the scriptures God is a shelter for His followers. He is a refuge. He is a shield of defense. Figuratively speaking His wings of protection are over his chosen ones. He is a rock. He is a fortress. He is a stronghold.

In Psalm 18:1-3 it says “I will love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.”

The wondrous news of our text is this: Help is available to those who take refuge in God. To Him we must go.

Here’s the call of our text: Take refuge in God, turn to Him, rely upon Him, seek his face, trust in Him

III. NOT EVERYONE TURNS TO GOD FOR HELP OR TO EVEN TO HIM IN THE WAYS HE PRESCRIBES.

This is sad because apart from God we have no good thing v.2

In James 1:17 it says “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows”

All the good things we have, we have because of God. And yet : Not everyone turns to God in faith and commitment and trust.

In v.4 of our text David speaks of how there are some who hasten after other gods. There are those who invoke and serve and worship other gods.

There service of these gods and their pursuit after them is in vain. And as our text says “their sorrows shall be multiplied”

These words are words of judgment: for those who reject God, whom the scripture speaks of as “the God of all comfort” there shall be the multiplication of sorrows—in this life and in the life to come.

Of these people and their ways David declares that he will have nothing to do. He is firmly committed to God.

IV. One of the things that you can see our text doing is this: it is emphasizing David’s commitment to God. Psalm 16 is full of commitment language to God and trust too.

Over and over again in our text David models to us one who is allegiant to God. Over and over again he pledges his allegiance (not to any flag or worldly cause) but to God.

God, his person, and ways are everything to David.

In God, David was finding perfect contentment and peace. In God, David was finding riches and blessing untold.

For me, v.5-6 stand out in terms of exemplifying the depth of David’s commitment and trust in God. “You, O LORD, are the portion of my inheritance…..”

When David wrote this he was a fugitive, with no home, with the moss for a mattress and the caves and forests for shelter.

Indeed, David did have faith in regards to his future—to him the kingdom of Israel had been promised, to him lands in Bethlehem belonged. Yet at this point these things were not yet his.

To David, God was everything. In having God he had a hold on the promises of God to Him. In having God he had everything he needed.