Psalm 31

“In you, Lord, I have taken refuge” (1). The psalmist calls God his “refuge” three times (1-4), asking the Lord to shelter and protect him from the things that our spiritual enemy may use to create havoc in our lives: human enemies (8), sorrow and grief (9), unseen traps (4), weakness (10), and even the poison of shame (1). Amazingly, the psalmist said, amid these trials, in “a city under siege,” God “showed me the wonders of his love” (21). When he felt “cut off” from God, the Lord heard him (22).

“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord” (24). Because God is our strong defender and protector, our refuge, we can face the world with courage.