Journal for Christ: To You, O Lord, I Will Run

September 8, 2020

Worship in WORD

Ps 31

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

31 In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

NIV

Ps 31

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

31 1 O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. 2 Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. 3 You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger. 4 Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. 5 I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.

6 I hate those who worship worthless idols. I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place.

Ps 31

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

31 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.

2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.

3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.

4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.

5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;

8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.

KJV

Ps 31

Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

31 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! 2 Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!

3 For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; 4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

6 I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord. 7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, 8 and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place.

ESV

I. Hope – vv. 1-8

II. Help! – vv. 9-20

III. Hail – vv. 21-22

IV. Heart – vv. 23-24

I. Hope – vv. 1-8

Verse 1 – Action:

When a major storm is approaching, it is normal to take action and prepare for the worst that could happen. Store’s shelves are emptied, as frantic shoppers seek supplies to help them weather the storm. Sometimes it is even necessary to issue an evacuation order based on the size and severity of the storm. And every time such an order is given, there are those who fail to plan or refuse to evacuate. When the devastation hits, they are the ones who will be crying out to be rescued from their self-imposed plight. There are also times when a storm appears suddenly, and there is little time to prepare. It is always good to have a plan for both kinds of situations.

Along with choosing the right supplies, the right refuge is important. Is it the right distance to keep us out of harm's way? Are the accommodations you have chosen to evacuate to safe? Are they structurally sound? This last question is especially important when time is of the essence. A sudden tornado hits and where you flee to can determine your chances of surviving.

In Psalm 31, we find David recounting a storm, or possibly storms he has faced. The exact storm(s) we do not know. The Holy Spirit left that perfectly vague because the issue is not the storm but the shelter. To change the metaphor – when under siege, the refuge or fortress is of vital importance as well. David fled to the soundest of shelters and the fiercest of fortresses.

In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge – NIV

O Lord, I have come to you for protection – NLT

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge – ESV

In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust – KJV

Let pause here and make two brief observations:

First, notice the KJV differs widely from the other translations. The Hebrew word used in verse one is chachah.

OT:2620 chacah —

(Qal) to seek refuge, to flee for protection; to put trust in (God), to confide or to hope in (God) (figurative)

(from The Online Bible Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Copyright © 1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed from the Institute for Creation Research.)

Almost all other English Bible versions translate this word here as “refuge.” But the idea of trust and hope are very present here as well.

IN YOU, O Lord, do I put my trust and seek refuge – AMP

Second, the Hebrew verb chachah is in the perfect tense, and each of the above translations handles it differently. However, the overall meaning is clear. I prefer the NIV here, which translates this word into English using the present perfect and implies that David had already fled and still resided in the Lord, his refuge.

David has acted, and because of this:

I. His needs are supplied (“the right supplies”) –

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need – Ps 23:1 NLT

II. His protection is always present (“the right distance”) –

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so the Lord surrounds his people

both now and forevermore.

Ps 125:2 NIV

III. His shelter is secure (“safe to stay at... structurally sound”) –

For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

Ps 27:5 NIV

In the day of trouble, whether it be sickness or suffering, trial or temptation, riots or ridicule –

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

³ though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging.

Ps 46:1-3 NIV

Worship in Witness:

These are tumultuous times. The “Breaking News” notification on my phone seems to go off 24/7. It can be unsettling. I am faced with two choices. Do I revert to the “safety” of my sheet and blanket to comfort and protect me (see my last blog entry: HOPE)? Or, like David, do I seek shelter in the almighty, abiding, absolute, all-pervading, and assuring presence and protection of the LORD?

Though I may be deprived of life and limb, pleasure and prosperity, and health and happiness, I know I stand perpetually protected in God, my Savior.

Let us, therefore, remember these five truths about our Rock of Refuge and Strong Fortress:

1. From the very outset of our salvation, we are safe in the protection of our Triune God:

John 10:27-30

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."

NIV

Eph 1:13-14

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

ESV

2. Circumstances change, but He – the Eternal God of the universe – does not:

“For I am the LORD, I change not.” – Mal. 3:6 KJV

3. We serve an immutable Savior:

“Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” – Heb. 13:8 NIV

4. We are loved with an inseparable love:

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rom 8:38-39 NIV

5. We are protected by an infinite power:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5 NASU

Does that mean because we are safe, we can become slothful?

Answer:

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

2 Tim. 2:19 NIV

Worship in Promise, Poetry, and Praise:

Created with (text added): https://www.fotor.com/

Image source: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0tlUy_RPX7w/maxresdefault.jpg

Where?

To whom shall I run, O Lord

When life deals a mortal blow

When pain cuts like a sword

And my tears begin to flow?

And where can I go and hide

When sorrows rip me apart

When fears with me abide

And seize my trembling heart?

Where shall I go for direction

When I have lost my way

When I have no predilection

And doubts rule my day?

To You, O Lord, I will run.

Under Your shelter, I will hide.

And when I need direction

You will be there by my side.

A Mighty Fortress Martin Luther. Translated to English by Frederic H. Hedge

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;

Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:

For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our strength confide, our striving would be losing;

Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing:

Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,

And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:

The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,

One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:

Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;

The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still,

His kingdom is forever.

Video: Contemporary Version: https://youtu.be/cCqJBTXxgDY

Traditional Version: https://youtu.be/8XUYZoguhEQ

Some Further Quotes:

Psalms 31:1-24

The swift transitions of feeling in this psalm may seem strange to colder natures whose lives run smoothly, but reveal a brother-soul to those who have known what it is to ride on the top of the wave and then to go down into its trough. What is peculiar to the psalm is not only the inclusion of the whole gamut of feeling, but the force with which each key is struck and the persistence through all of the one ground tone of cleaving to Jehovah. The poetic temperament passes quickly from hope to fear. The devout man in sorrow can sometimes look away from a darkened earth to a bright sky, but the stern realities of pain and loss again force themselves in upon him. The psalm is like an April day, in which sunshine and rain chase each other across the plain. Psalms 31:1-24

"The beautiful uncertain weather,

Where gloom and glory meet together,"

makes the landscape live, and is the precursor of fruitfulness.

Journal for Christ

Thursday, September 10, 2020

To You, O Lord, I Will Run

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