Refuge

In Psalm 31:1-5, David prays,

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    in your righteousness deliver me!
Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me!
For you are my rock and my fortress;
    and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;
you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
    for you are my refuge.
Into your hand I commit my spirit;
    you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

Refuge, hiding place, fortress, rock. These pictures are frequent in the psalms. David got chased around by the murderous Saul and was run out of his kingdom by his son Absalom. For him, refuge was an escape from the spear or the sword, perhaps in a cave or in a neighboring kingdom. For me the idea of refuge is usually more abstract than it was for David, and in comparison, my trials seem trivial, except at the moment I'm going through them. But David learned where his real refuge was, and so must I.

Also, it's striking that the first part of v. 5, "Into your hand I commit my spirit", is what Christ quoted on the cross (Luke 23:46). Even for Christ, the ultimate refuge was the presence of the Father, though he had to pass through death to get there.

- Mark Notess