Making God Your Refuge

In Psalm 52 King David contrasts the failures of wickedness with the fruitfulness of godliness. The basic point of this psalm is that moral compromise may lead to temporary gains, but in the end Divine justice will make sure that faithfulness is rewarded and rebellion punished. David encapsulates the point in verse one,

“Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day.” ( 52:1, ESV)

There are a number of crucial principles that can be mined out of this psalm, but in this article I am going to limit my focus to just one thought. Specifically, what does it mean to make God your refuge?

The word frequently translated “refuge” in the Psalter is a Hebrew word that generally means a place of safety, and more specifically refers to a stronghold, fortress, or mountain escape. In spiritual terms, a “refuge” is what you are trusting in to protect your soul from harm and provide for your ultimate safety. The Lord is commonly described as a place of refuge for his people in the Psalter, particularly in reference to their salvation (cf., 2:12; 5:11; 7:1; 11:1; 14:6; 16:1; 17:7; 18:2, 18:30; 25:20; 28:8; 31:1; 31:2; 31:4; 31:19; 34:8; 34:22; 36:7; 37:40; 43:2; 46:1; 52:7; 57:1; 59:16; 61:3; 61:4; 62:7; 62:8; 64:10; 71:1; 71:3; 71:7; 73:28; 91:2; 91:4; 91:9; 94:22; 104:18; 118:8; 118:9; 141:8; 142:4; 142:5; 143:9; 144:2).

In Psalm 52, one of the criticisms that David has against the wicked is that they will not make God their refuge because they “Love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right” (v. 3). As David describes it,

“See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!” (v. 7)

Not seeking refuge in the Lord means that you are not trusting the Lord to protect your soul, provide for your needs, and vindicate your faithfulness. Instead you are relying on earthly means and self-effort to accomplish your will in life. The end result of this kind of “self-refuge” is destruction.

In contrast, the righteous recognize the need to trust in the Lord for protection, which means you will have to seek your reward in the Lord rather than in gratification, which is another way of saying that God must be your refuge.

“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.” (vv. 7–9)

There are three actions in these verses that practically define what it means to take refuge in God.

First, trusting the steadfast love of God is a necessary element of taking refuge in God. In other words, those who take refuge in God respond in faith to the unassailable goodness of God in their lives. Of course, trusting the Lord in this manner begins with trusting the goodness of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Christ we find the ultimate example of God’s steadfast love toward us!

Second, those who find their refuge in God are thankful for all that God has done in their lives. In other words, not only do they recognize that God is good, they also acknowledge that God has done good (cf. Ps 119:68). Those taking their refuge in the Lord see that everything is heading toward a final judgment (cf. v. 5), and they are thankful for God’s saving and sanctifying grace to prepare them for that judgment. Their definition of good is tempered by an eternal timeline and the priority of holiness (v. 6).

Finally, if your refuge is the Lord then you will have to wait for your final vindication. Part of what makes the wicked so wicked is the fact that they are unwilling to wait on the reward of the Lord so they sinfully take what they want from this life now. In contrast, the righteous recognize that God will eventually vindicate his own name in the eternal presence of all his saints, and they are willing to give up the gratification of this life to gain the glorification of eternal life.