Our Refuge

Ruth 1-2; Psalms 53, 61; 2 Corinthians 5 

“May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

Ruth 2:12

“From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.”

Psalm 61:2, 3

Refugees flee hardship, violence, and death, leaving everything behind in search of a place of refuge. Ruth and Naomi were destitute widows and economic refugees. Ruth chose to find refuge in Israel under the “wings” of the God of Israel. Her future husband Boaz grew up in a home of refuge with a mother, Rahab, who had also found refuge under the wings of the God of Israel. Many years later, their descendent David was himself a political refugee, fleeing from King Saul, his jealous father-in-law. David also declared that the Lord God of Israel was his refuge, his strong tower, “the rock that is higher than I….” Financial hardship, conflict, family struggles, and many other tests can cause us to feel like “people on the run” - refugees on the inside. We, too, need refuge under the wings of the God of Israel, the Rock.

“Lord Jesus, you are my refuge and deliverer, for your glory.”