Refuge

There have been and there will be times when everything felt like it was piling up at once.

How about you? Bills coming in and unsure how to pay, responsibilities you don’t feel ready for, and decisions that carried more weight than I wanted to admit. It wasn’t one big, dramatic crisis—it was a collection of small things that quietly grew into something overwhelming.

And if I’m honest, my first instinct wasn’t to face any of it. I just wanted to disappear for a while. To ignore the emails, avoid the phone calls, and pretend that if I gave it enough time, it would all somehow sort itself out. I wanted a place to hide—a place where the pressure couldn’t reach me.

Maybe you’ve felt that too. Not necessarily running away physically, but emotionally… mentally… just wanting relief from the chaos pressing in around you.

That desire—to run, to hide, to find safety—is something we all understand. And it’s exactly the kind of feeling we step into as we look at this passage today.

After moments like that—when we just want to run and hide—we start to realize something deeper: it’s not just our personal struggles that feel overwhelming. It’s the world itself.

We cannot control the world around us. And at times that reality can be paralyzing.

People (Pause) we live in a world of chaos.

War. Fighting. Lies. Power. Politics. Division. Murder. Injustice. People choosing to ignore when they messed up. Arrogance. Sin. Are all things that cause chaos.

People live in a world of chaos.

When God has been organizing, ordering, and creating plans to bring order to the world. Satan has been disrupting, disordering, and creating chaos the entire time. This morning I got to have breakfast with one of my good friends and church leader, and we discussed, brainstormed, all of the ways to bring order to the ministry. It takes work, planning, engagement, and an ongoing effort to bring order to the world. God is working. God is using people like my friend to do it.

3 minute set up:

This psalm is simply titled A Psalm of David. As with many of David’s psalms, it is impossible to confidently state which period of his life it comes from. It speaks of trouble from enemies, adversaries, false witnesses, and violent men, but this was true of many periods of King David’s life. 

Psalm 27 “Of David. 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. 4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! 8 You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” 9 Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! 10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. 13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

The psalm writer yearns for safety and security.

Army encamped against him.

Evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh.

light and salvation: darkness and destruction/downfall

stronghold:

-David was in a season of trouble and a song of confidence rang through.

-David was in trouble, darkness, facing destruction

-Strong warrior, battle tested David, declares his dependence on God.

Application: Do you want safety and security in your life? Do you want it for your family? Do you want it for your career? Do you want it for your marriage? How do you handle that yearning for safety and security? What provides it? Who provides it. Is the safety and security provided by this world? Is it provided by other people? Is it provided by human effort?

The psalm writer finds refuge in God.

David declares the LORD as the stronghold of his life.

-We rarely know what it is to have God be the strength of our life, perhaps it is because we trust in so many other things for strength.

-I think things like medicine, science, insurance, and passwords have all given us a false sense of security. And that false sense of security has turned us into self-system-reliant people who rarely have to truly depend on God.

-This same thing was true in the text, David had power, prestige, might, but even the powerful face adversity…and He chose where he was going to place his trust.

Cities of refuge.

OT days: 6 cities of refuge

Manslaughter vs Murder

Responsibility of nearest relative

Prevent people from murdering someone guilty of manslaughter.

Cities of refuge. / Trial / Spared the life, but held accountable the person guilty of manslaughter.

As good as these were, they were flawed and unless people did the right thing…in all circumstances. Flee. Trial went correctly. Family member didn’t get to the person before they made it to the city of refuge.

The psalm writer doesn’t find refuge in a place, a temple, a castle, inside the protection of an army, or in his own strength, He finds his refuge in God.

Application: Where do you place your trust? Hobby? Relationship? Game ranking? Statistics? Status? Insurance? Worldly advisors? Government? Or in God, God’s word, God’s plan, or even God’s people.

Your refuge isn’t a place, it is a person.

We know this…(point to head) in our minds.

We know this…(point to text) in our reading.

The longest distance ever measured is the distance between a person’s head and heart.

Your refuge isn’t a place, it is a person.

As great as this sanctuary is, the only thing that saves you is God. Because He is with you. As great as your home is, it is not your sanctuary. God is your sanctuary. As great as our church family is, it isn’t our flesh and bone that make being part of this family a sanctuary, it is that God is in us that makes this family a place of refuge. It is not the pastor, it is not music, it is God!

We may not mean to, but sometimes we go to good things as a place of refuge.

Music Wars: The song and play it over and over again

Preachers: Sometime we go to the sermon again and again,

Leaders: Sometimes we go to the leadership principle,

The way we have done it: It worked why change it.

None of us intend to do wrong by going to these things, but going to these things and these places for safety, security, and refuge is not the same as going to God.

We may mean to. We predetermine to go to alcohol, adultery, sexual immorality, lust, greed, lying, unbridled rage, envy. And we go to those things because we know they will provide a “sense” of safety, security, or provision. This predetermined going to will always leave you wanting more. It will never leave you satisfied, whole, or healed. It will create disorder in your life. And it will harden your heart.

Conclusion:

Where is you REFUGE today?

Matthew 11:28–30 “28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””

If you have never accepted Christ as your Lord and savior and you are feeling an overwhelming desire in your spirit right, you may need to turn your eyes toward Jesus for the very first time as a person you you get your salvation from.

If you have accepted Christ, you may have wandered, drifted, or just got numb. And your not looking full in His wonderful face. You have let all the background be in focus, and the foreground is blurred out. Like a portrait mode in reverse.

If you accepted Christ, now all you see is the background of the image, where Jesus was once there, but he is gone. He is not even in your photo anymore. Everything else is.