NearnessNäide

I often wonder how David could say to God, “You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you”(Psalm 9:10, ESV).

This is the same man who wrote the Psalm that Jesus quoted on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46, ESV). This is the same man who cried out to God in countless Psalms, expressing a deep feeling of anguish and abandonment. Was David lying, or inconsistent? How could he say that God has never forsaken those who seek Him?

David trusted God, relied on Him, and rested in Him in a way that I think most of us can only imagine. In times of war, deep sin, shame, joyous victory, and desperate heartbreak, David knew the power in the name of God.

I love the rich and beautiful image of a stronghold—a place of defense and safety. Images of high towers, castles on a cliff, and impenetrable stone-walled fortresses spring to mind. It keeps those inside safe and protected. This is how David describes God. God alone is our safe place and security. This is the promise to us: if we seek God and trust Him, He will never forsake us.

But the promise here is not that there won’t be trouble, or that there won’t be oppression. The promise is that God is our unwavering, unfailing, unassailable place of safety through it all. That is how David could say that he was not forsaken by God, even in his darkest moments. The Lord was his refuge.

If this was true for David, how much more beautiful is this truth for us because of Jesus? If we put our trust in the name of Jesus, He will never forsake us. He brings us into this safe place for all eternity. And He sends us His Spirit to dwell within us so we might never be forsaken.

Today, ponder this: What does it look like for you to know the name of the Lord so that He can be your stronghold just like He was for David?