A Refuge of Trust Beyond

There is a refuge of trust beyond this life, beyond self, beyond others and is above all else. It is a trust that is the eternal, living God. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

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Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:21 Speaker

There is a refuge of trust beyond this life, beyond self, beyond others and is above all else. It is a trust that is the eternal, living God. Throughout God’s love story the Bible there are many moments where individuals and people groups have received this revelation of God. That only in God is there a refuge of trust beyond and above all else. For only the eternal, living God is trustworthy, faithful and true. 

Through the highs and lows of this life, God pursues humanity in His selfless love, revealing that He is a refuge of trust beyond and above all else. 

Centuries ago there was an individual who received this revelation. He was a shepherd boy who became the 2nd king of Ancient Israel. His name was David. 

In poetry and song, David expressed His emotions to God. Through these Psalms, David expressed his joy and sorrow, suffering and deliverance, defeat and victory. Not only did David express his own journey but also the condition of humanity. He expressed our need for a refuge of trust beyond our own selves, others and the circumstances of this life. 

In amongst one of David’s laments about his own selfish lusts and the plight of humanity, there is a parallel of the ultimate expression of God’s selfless love. It is a prophecy of what the living God would do centuries later by being a safe refuge in whom we can trust. One such song is Psalm 22.

Let us begin with Verses 1-2 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. 

In the first two verses David is experiencing the ultimate sorrow. The shame and guilt of the selfish desires and lusts of humanity. The betrayal, heartache, abuses of power and injustices of this world, all of which David himself not only experienced but portrays himself. Consumed by these emotions and desires, David feels that God has forsaken him. This is a very real emotion and ultimate sorrow. 

As David laments his own circumstances, he accuses God of not hearing his cries. In the intense sorrow and pain, David self focus points out to God that he is crying out to him all the time. 

The darkness of humanity is immense. As the living God already knows this, centuries later, Jesus the Son of God became the Son of Man. He physically, emotionally and mentally experienced the full human condition. In a moment in time He willingly wrapped Himself up in a human tent to sacrifice His life, at the hands of humanity. He came to push back the darkness and shine His glorious light, to set humanity free.

Jesus was an innocent man, nailed to the cross by humanity. In the hearing of all the passers by and the ones gathered at the foot of the cross, Jesus publicly identified with humanity. He quoted Psalm 22, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Jesus was not accusing God of forsaking Him like David did. The fact is it was the complete opposite. Jesus cried out to those who knew the full story of this Psalm, these confronting words, to cut through their pride so they would admit their need for a saviour. Their need for God. 

For a greater revelation of this please listen to the jesus loves : the world podcast, My God, My God, why have You Forsaken Me?

On the cross Jesus demonstrated that God is a refuge of trust beyond and above all else. Not only in Himself the Son of God becoming human but in everything He said and did. In Jesus’ humanity He surrendered His human will to that of God the Father’s will. Jesus with His last breath  committed His spirit into God the Father’s hands. He did this in a refuge of trust beyond all else. For Jesus knew that He can trust the Father to raise His human body from the dead to everlasting glory. 

Let us continue on through Psalm 22 with Verses 3-5 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

David is able to remember from generation to generation that God has proven He is the safe refuge of trust beyond time and present circumstances. As David recalls the time when his forefathers did trust in God, God did deliver them, he testifies of God. David knows the journey of his ancestors. How when they cried out to God, He not only listened to their cries but delivered them from the bondage of the injustices of the the world empire of the time. David declares how God never shames anyone and that shame is not of God. How even in his ancestors shame God was there with them. 

David then laments on his own failings and those of others. 

Verses 6-10 But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God.

In David’s lament of his own plight, He prophecies of what humanity will do to God the Son who became human. However unlike David and all humanity, Jesus had done nothing wrong. 

Upon the cross, Jesus was subjected to the reproach and ridicule of humanity. He was despised by the very ones He came to save. Jesus was humiliated with a torturous execution of crucifixion. This was a death in the time of the Roman Empire that was reserved for the lowest of low in their eyes.

As Jesus hung on the cross, passers by taunted Him, taunted God. They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since God delights in Him!

Yet as He experienced the shame of humanity at the hands of humanity, Jesus in His selfless love, sacrificed His human life. For it please the Father, Son and Spirit, pleased God, that He would personally be the deliverer of humanity for all eternity. 

David continues his own personal lament and again prophecies of what humanity will do to the Son of God who became Son of Man. 

Verses 11-18 Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

David feels all alone and the extreme stresses of his life. He expresses that he feels as if the very essence of life has been drained out of Him. As David laments, the prophecies of what humanity will do to their Son of God who became human centuries later emerge.

Jesus cried out that He thirsts. He not only experienced the emotional and mental trauma of betrayal and abandonment together with the abuses of the selfish desires and lusts of others, but He experienced it all physically as well.

The nails were driven into His flesh. Unlike all others who were crucified, His bones were not broken. The Roman soldiers divided Jesus’ garments and cast lots for His robe. 

Yet God in Jesus willingly subjected Himself to the full human condition. He did it all for us. So that anyone willing to receive God and His salvation in Jesus, would receive deliverance. In the hands of the eternal, living God there is a refuge of trust beyond and above all else.

Let us continue with David’s lament with Verses 19-26 But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me! Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog. Save Me from the lion’s mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me. 

I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard. My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever!

David concludes that the eternal living God has answered him. For the eternal, living God is David’s refuge and trust beyond and above all else. David testifies that the eternal, living God is his strength. 

Out of the revelation of who God is, David declares to God that He will praise Him. In doing so others will join with Him and together they will praise God. 

God described David as a man after His own heart and praising God together reveals God’s heart for all people. 

For the eternal, living God did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted. The eternal, living God is always welcoming. He never hides His face from anyone and always welcomes each individual and people group to come to Him. Regardless of appearance, status, age, gender, selfish desires and lusts, the eternal, living God is inclusive. He is inclusive of all people and a refuge of trust beyond and above all. 

Verses 27-31 All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the LORD’s, And He rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth Shall eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust Shall bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep himself alive. A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this.

David brings this Psalm to its final crescendo. As the Spirit of God has revealed to Him, he states that the true kingdom is that of the eternal, living God. David has seen into eternity through the eyes of God, that all those throughout the ages will bow before God. There will be those of his own people group throughout the ages, together with those of every tribe and nation that will worship God. 

The prosperous of the earth are those who have chosen to receive the eternal, living God and His right to rule and reign. 

In those final statement of Psalm 22, David concludes that all of who God is and what He has done will be recounted to the next generation and beyond. We are evidence of this. For having received God, received Jesus, we testify of who He is and all He has done. 

He came from heaven to earth and experienced the full human condition. He lived, died rose from the grave and ascended back to heaven. In full power and authority Jesus is coming back. At that moment together with all those generations throughout the ages, together worship Him and receive His kingdom. That is a physical and spiritual refuge of trust beyond this life for all eternity. Until then, spiritually we have a refuge of trust beyond and above all else in this life. Praise His mighty name!

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!