“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.”- Psalm 62:8.

 

“The opening chapter of Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ wonderful book, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure [Eerdmans], is on Psalm 42. He asks (p. 20),

“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?”

He goes on to explain that rather than just going along with the thoughts that come to you in the morning, which bring back all of the problems of yesterday, you’ve got to take yourself in hand, preach to yourself, and question yourself. You ask yourself, “Why are you cast down?” Then you exhort yourself to hope in God. Lloyd-Jones continues (p. 21), And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man:

“I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my God.” That’s exactly what David does in Psalm 62. He piles up description after description of who God is. After telling himself to wait in silence for God only (62:5), he adds (62:5b-6), “for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my strongholdI shall not be moved.”

This time he does not say, “I shall not be greatly shaken” (62:2), but he advances to, “I shall not be moved” at all! Then he goes over it again (62:7), “On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.” 

Don’t miss the pronoun my (9 times in vv. 5-7!). Also, God is either directly named or referred to with the pronouns Him or He five times in these verses. David knew God personally as his hope, his rock, his salvation, his stronghold, his strength, and his refuge. If we want His peace in severe trials, we must know God personally and experientially as our God and remind ourselves of who He is. 

So the point is, David is fighting here, while under these life threatening attacks, to put these comforting truths front and center in his mind. “- 

One expression is here heaped upon another, and this apparently because he wished to rein that infirmity of disposition which makes us so prone to slide
into wrong exercise. We may throw out a passing and occasional, that
our only help is to be found in God, and yet shortly display our distrust in him by busying ourselves in all directions to supplement what we consider defective in his aid. –{Martin Lloyd Jones.}

“Isn’t that so true! We say we’re trusting in God alone, but then we quickly scheme how to deliver ourselves, rather than waiting on Him! It’s not that it’s wrong to think about how to get out of a difficult trial, or to use methods to do so. In fact, more often than not we should use plans and methods in dependence on Him. But it’s wrong to give God a token nod of trust and then set Him aside
while really we trust in our schemes and methods. Rather, with David we must fight to make God our only source of deliverance: “He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold.” Then, “I shall not be shaken” (62:6). If we trust in plans and methods we’ll fail. But if God only is our rock, we will stand firm.
Use your peace through trials to encourage others to trust in God alone as their refuge (62:8).

David can’t contain the joy of knowing God as his salvation, so he writes (62:8), “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”-,{Steven Cole}

 

The Psalmist shows us several things from Psalm 62:8

  1. A CALL TO HOPE ;

 He Shares with others what he has found himself, that God is “trustworthy, reliable,” his safety, security. He encourages them, and instructs with the hope that can be found in Him. He calls them to actively and confidently come to Him, for with Him they will find Hope. You do likewise. Encourage others to trust Him and pour their heart out to Him.

2. A CALL TO TRUST;

 At “all times,” whatever comes up, the unexpected news, turn to Him and trust Him. Trust Him in times of prosperity. Trust Him in times of adversity! The long-term trial, keep trusting Him. There is no time He is not to be trusted. “Trust in Him at ALL times.” “All times…whatever the time, occasion, it is a time to lean in on Him, trust, relate, rely on Him. There is never a time when He refuses you such privilege There is never a time when you or I cannot afford to. For if we do, we lean to our own understanding and He forbids us to do that, for we are not wise enough or capable to make decisions that will honor Him, when we do, – ” TRUST IN THE LORD – who He is- ” with ALL of your heart and lean not to your own understanding, in ALL of your says acknowledge Him and He will direct your path .” – ( Prov 3:5-6)
•Trust Him for Hope when your heart feels down. {Romans 15:13}.
•Trust Him for Grace when it all seems too much {2 Cor 12:9}.
•Trust Him for Strength for the journey you are in. (Phil 4:13)
•Trust Him for the reminder you have Power for life and Godliness -{2 Pet 1:3}.
•Trust him to remind you to exercise faith in His Promises – {2 Pet 1:4}.
•Trust Him for Grace to trust Him and pour out all of your heart before Him.
•Trust Him when you don’t know what to do.-( 2 Chron 20)
•Trust Him for Wisdom – (James 1:5)
•Trust Him He is Able to work all things for “good.”- (ROM 8:28-29)
•Trust Him with the broken heart, the heavy load.
There is nothing too big, small, or irrelevant for Him. He wants you to turn ALL things over to Him. – ( PS 55:22).
* Trust Him because He loves you.
What is the alternative for us? Carry the cares ourselves and end up with anxieties, fears, heart that is troubled? Self-inflicted wound’s, when we choose to “lean to our own understanding,’ and refuse to “trust in the Lord with all of your heart?” We have all been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. We have not only read about His faithfulness in the Scriptures but we have personally, each one of us experienced and seen His faithfulness. It is time to trust Him.
* “Trust Him…Pour out our heart to Him…”

 

  3.  A CALL TO SHARE;

  “POUR OUT YOUR HEART TO HIM.”-
“The idea is, that the heart becomes tender and soft, so that its feelings and desires flow out as water, (Lam2:19) and all its emotions, all its wishes, its sorrows, its troubles, are poured out before God.” – (Barnes.).
Hannah “poured out,” her heart to the Lord and He saw and heard her. (1 Sam 1:15). Your heart is safe with God. You can pour out your heart, your feelings, wishes, wants, hurts, anxieties, perplexities, hopes, desires, requests, to Him. You can confidently tell Him all. Like water pouring forth so all can be shared with Him. Tell Him all that is on your heart. Anytime, anyplace, all the time relate to Him. He wants you to. This you can do confidently assuredly before Him that He hears you, He cares for you. He loves you.
 
**You are never an inconvenience to Him.
** There is safety for your heart, your soul in Him. He is your refuge. Your comfort, where your heart and mind can find rest in. He is your security.

 4.-   A CALL TO REMEMBER;

  “GOD IS OUR REFUGE…”-
** The Psalmist reminds them and us too as we read, that God is their “Refuge.” We are so prone to forget.
In the Old Testament God had designated six “Cities of Refuge,” to protect a person from vengeance of others if they had accidentally or unintentionally killed someone. If they could get to one of those cities they were protected from bloodshed. (Joshua 20:1-3: Numbers 35.). It was Law. God’s provision from the avenger. God does not have such a place today. He Has a Person. He Himself protects our soul. He “keeps,” it. It is a military term ( 1 Peter 1:5). God is the keeper and protector of our soul. We can run to Him. Hide in Him. Have His Word comfort us.- (Ps 119:50). He is our “Refuge.”
Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” the Psalms speak of God as our refuge on more than 15 other occasions.

 GOD’S REFUGE – ” IN CHRIST.”

 
NOAH’S REFUGE;
As the Ark was Noah and his family’s REFUGE from the judgment of God, so , ” In Christ,” is our ” Refuge.” Noah was Safe, secure, through God’s provision for him, his family and some animals, God’s graciousness and mercy, to him. God’s Provision.
“CITIES OF REFUGE.”- For the person on the run, having unintentionally killed someone, there was “hope,” if they could get to one of the six “cities of Refuge,” God had set up for them, His mercy, grace is seen here, as a picture of Jesus our “Refuge.”  The difference between the city of refuge and the Lord Jesus is , that while the “innocent,” one who unintentionally killed someone could find refuge, where the murderer could not, all we who are guilty can flee to Jesus. He is a Refuge for all sinners who turn to Him and run to Him. And in Him this “Refuge,’ lasts as long as He does, and He is the Eternal Savior! What Hope.
* “That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for REFUGE to lay hold of the hope set before us.”- {Hebrews 6:18}
God no longer has a  designated Place,” but He has provided a “Person,” for all the guilty to flee to, and in Jesus find ” REFUGE.”  He Himself is our Strong Tower. He Himself is the One in whom we are safe from the “Avenger,”-The Law” s demand for the penalty of our sin. Jesus Is our, “REFUGE.” ‘He who knew no sin, became sin, that we might become the righteousness of God, IN HIM,” – ” In Christ.”- ( 2 Cor 5:21).
“IN CHRIST,”- What hope there is in these two words- Safety, deliverance from the wrath of God. Freedomfrom the dominion and slavery of satan.
( Col 1:12-14; 2 Tim 2:25-26). Freedom from the wages of sin. -( Rom 3:23;6:23;2 Cor 5:21) . Freedom from condemnation -( Rom 8:1). ” It was for freedom Christ set you free never again to be yoked to a bond of slavery…if the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed…”-( Gal 5:1; John 8);
He Himself is our REFUGE; OUR SAFETY; DELIVERANCE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, SECURITY, SAVIOR, FRIEND, SUSTENANCE. ALL is found ” In Him.”-  He is our “Refuge.”
” IN CHRIST,”-
 “BY GOD’S DOING YOU ARE IN CHRIST, who became to us wisdom from God,… Righteousness,…Sanctification…Redemption…let him who boasts, boast in the LORD.”-(1 Cor 1:30-31.).
JESUS CHRIST IS YOUR ” ETERNAL REFUGE,” and nothing or no one can separate you from the love of God, “in Christ,”- -( ROM 8:31-)
Troubles? Don’t know where to turn? No one to share with? Feel alone, abandoned? Don’t know what to do? Trust Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is YOUR Refuge! He is always lovingly, tenderly available to you. He loves you. You are never on your own.
The Psalmist said, God is not only “my Refuge”-(v7) but “our Refuge,” is a refuge for All who flee and take Refuge in Him. He has enough room of “All” of us!
 JESUS YOUR  “REFUGE!”
• Talk to Him. Trust Him, Pour out your heart to Him, you will find in Him a Great high Priest who empathizes– feels the very feelings you feel…His is a Throne of Grace, where you have His favor, and you can come to …confidently and continually come … ” Therefore let us  draw near with  confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – ( Hebrews 4:16).
He is our ” Refuge.”
Psalm  62:8 – Is a Psalm of Hope, instruction. 
It is a Call to HOPE,
A Call to TRUST,
A Call to SHARE your heart,
A Call to REMEMBER.

GOD, who is your  “REFUGE.”  -TRUST AND HOPE IN GOD!

APPLICATION;
1. MEMORIZE- Psalm 62:8
2.- MEDITATE, – on each word, phrase.
Ask questions of the verse. 
A.- What does God want you to know about Him from this verse? 
B.- In light of what He wants you to know, what two things does He want you to do?
3.- PRAY, – personalize the verse  when you Pray and as you Worship God for who He is to you and for you! Pray this Verde for others.
4.-READ WITH INTENT; LOOK TO KNOW HIM, AND what He is like.
Encourage your heart…
Read His Word, underline His character, the psalms are a good place to do so. So often the Psalmist writings convey his emotions, struggles and yet often end up perhaps not with his circumstance changing but his perspective. His heart sees the character of the Lord and hope, and trust and often praise results as in Him, he finds someone whom He can confide in, who truly cares for him, and in Him, he sees the graciousness, goodness, greatness of God!
“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.”- Psalm 62:8