It’s freezing today in Connecticut. Although it is January and cold is expected, this cold snap has reached “dangerous” zones.  The chill has dipped well below zero at night.  And, I, along with many, have sought shelter inside my cozy home. Those who live outside, without a home to go to, need to find a place to go for warmth – if they are to survive the zero degree days and frigid nights.

After this burst of unusually cold weather is over, and the thermostat starts to level off again back to the normal range, our need to “seek a heated spot” will not be as strong.  But, should the freeze come upon us, again, we know we need a refuge from the cold.

The psalmist, in his lyrics to the Lord, speaks of “taking refuge.”

In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! Psalm 71:1

In a sense, the writer of this psalm is getting out of the cold so he can survive.  Or, to use another metaphor, he is moving behind a sturdy barricade to avoid being shot.

And his refuge is not a warm house, or even one of those medieval castles built to remain impervious to every onslaught.  His refuge is, remarkably, the LORD.

When you’re in trouble, is the first thing you think of “taking refuge in the Lord?” If it’s not the first thing, is it the last?  Is it even on the list?

It never used to be on my list.  My concept of the LORD has changed over the years. Growing up, I thought God was a distant figure, living up in heaven, presiding over earth in a detached manner. Those many years ago, I did not believe that the LORD would get involved in a life like mine, unless it was to judge me and sentence me to hell for missing church, or being mean to my brother, or not going to a confession. If I could get near to God, that is.  The saints, priests, nuns, and countless others were before me in line to approach God.  Who was I in that hierarchy?

But, thankfully, I was introduced to the God, not of the traditions of men, but the God of the Bible.  This one, the LORD, offers refuge, safety, a place to go.  No standing in line before people more saintly than I am.  He is there, without jumping through any hoops.  I can make a direct beeline for a safe place.

The psalmist is taking refuge because he needs help.  He cries,

“Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.”  Psalm 71:4

Cruel and wicked people are hounding him, accusing him, seeking to destroy his life. He is in real, grave danger.

“For my enemies speak concerning me; those who watch for my life consult together and say, ‘God has forsaken him, pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver him.’” Psalm 71:10-11

I can relate to being bullied.  For some reason, I was shadowed by a bully in middle school, and she made my life miserable.  Every time she saw me she threatened to ‘beat me up.’ And I was afraid of her.  And ashamed that she would want to beat me up.  In my 7th grade mine, I didn’t want her to fight with me, so I did my best to avoid her, taking different hallways to my classes to miss running into her, or trying to make sure a friend was at my side at all times.

The world is full of bullies.  Not only terrorists on the international scale, but also personal bullies.  Perhaps they reside in your home.  Or your neighborhood.  Or place of work.  These bullies shame you, taunt you, and seek to hurt you.  They may even try – as in the case of Congresswoman Giffords – to kill you.

What is interesting, here in Psalm 71, is that the writer, who is dealing with some dangerous bullies, finds a refuge in God alone.  He doesn’t talk about hiding anywhere – except God. He doesn’t speak of a body guard or an alarm system, or even a gun – He only asks God for His protection.  He looks to God for deliverance from the shame and the contempt that his enemies have piled on him.

God, to the psalmist, is not a distant and uninvolved king, but a solid refuge – a place to go for practical and present deliverance. The LORD, available now, in the next hour, tomorrow, and at any time to deliver, hear his prayer, rescue, and save him.

Be to me a rock of refuge to which I may continually come.  Psalm 71:3

Is this different from how you view God?  Is He one to whom you look for safety, protection, refuge?  Deliverance from shame?  The psalmist would say – and I believe – He is there when you need to come out of the cold.