In the news, we often hear stories or even see video footage of people fleeing war-torn places around the world to relocate to somewhere safer: somewhere with a higher quality of life, more opportunities for prosperity, and more overall freedom from harm. These people are called refugees—they are seeking refuge from the difficulties, fear, and violence they are leaving behind. When we hear about the circumstances of many of these refugees, for most of us, they are circumstances that can be difficult for us to relate to on a personal level. Spiritually, however, the Bible repeatedly refers to God as a “safe place.” He is a fortress, a shield, and place of refuge. What exactly does that mean, and how can we seek refuge in the Lord?
One of the first times in scripture we see the concept of “refuge” is in the book of Joshua, when various cities are laid out within the promised land where people who accidentally or unknowingly had taken another life could go in order to be safe from “the avenger of blood,” a close relative of the victim whose role it was to avenge their relatives death and was permitted to take the life of the killer (see Joshua 20:1-9). This instance beautifully demonstrates the first and most important harm that God provides us safety from: guilt. Romans 6:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God knows that we are guilty of sin, and He has made abundantly clear how steep the cost of sin is (see Genesis 3:14-19). In Christ though, we are given freedom and life, and justified when we were “found condemned.” The idea of fleeing to a city of refuge helps us understand what safety in Christ looks like when it comes to our sin: if we are not “in Christ,” or “in the city limits,” so to speak, then we are not safe! This is why being baptized “into” Christ is so important (Galatians 3:27)! Are you in or are you out? As the psalmist writes in Psalm 2:12, “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” Are you safe from the cost of sin, or as Belshazzar saw in the handwriting on the wall, “you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting…” (Daniel 5:27).
God is also our refuge from physical danger, like the many dangers presented by living in a fallen world. We know that King David had many enemies and was often involved in military conflicts or fearful for his life for some reason, and as we read through the Psalms we can see how often David was reminded of the fact that God was at work keeping him safe from harm:
- “Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.” (Psalm 17:7)
- “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2)
- “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.” (Psalm 57:1)
While as Christians, we should always strive to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9, Romans 12:18), there will likely at certain times in our lives be people who dislike us, frustrate us, or maybe even wish to cause us harm in some way. We can take comfort and courage from David’s consistent faith that God was watching out for him, and that even when he was struggling with some sort of difficulty, God was always the place he could go for safety, peace, and encouragement. May we always look to God for refuge from danger, whatever type of danger that may be, and give Him glory for always being our help and safety.
“But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.” (Psalm 59:16)
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