The Refuge of Relationship

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Psalm 142

Psalm 142:5

I cry to you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.”

(ESV)

Social distancing sadly can come with relational distancing as people lose physical connection with friends and family.  Fortunately, we live in the age of digital media and cell phones where we can maintain connection and even attend church services online but extended connection via a screen can result in screen fatigue.  It is therefore crucial for people to be able to return to physical connection with each other with precautionary measures taken to ensure these connections are safe.  The good news in many communities is that churches are planning to open during the Memorial Day Weekend in the United States, or Sunday, May 24, with certain restrictions like wearing masks and social distancing.  However, other communities remain hesitant to open up churches and we must pray for God’s intervention in these communities so that these community leaders realize churches, for the most part, will act responsibly to ensure the health and safety of their congregations. 

David finds himself in a cave to escape King Saul who wants to kill him.  While his enemy is visible unlike the invisible enemy of a virus, it is none the less an enemy presenting a threat to his life.  While the cave provides a physical place of refuge, David’s enemy continues to pursue David and keeps discovering the location of David’s hideout with God intervening twice to deliver David from almost certain death (1 Samuel 23:15-24:22).  It is most likely that David wrote Psalm 142 at some point during these events, expressing his emotions during this time of danger and isolation from physical connection with friends and family.  As we study the Psalm in this context, we see that, 

1)      David is in a place of physical refuge (1 Samuel 23:29) – At this point in David’s life his main concern is survival for the King of Israel, Saul, is in hot pursuit of him (1 Samuel 23:15-29).  After a miraculous escape from Saul through the providence of God, David has found rest in the strongholds of Engedi (1 Samuel 23:29).  However, even the remote caves of Engedi could not provide refuge for David as Saul discovers where David is hiding and sends three thousand chosen men to seek David (1 Samuel 24:1-2).  Once again, the providence of God allows David to remain stealth to detection by Saul, allowing David to show his respect for Saul as king (1 Samuel 24:3-22).  During this coronavirus crisis, using masks and gloves, social distancing, and sheltering in place are ways to provide physical refuge, but they have limits and still require the intervention of the providence of God to provide refuge. 

2)      David lacks the refuge of relationship of those empathetic with his situation (Psalm 142:4) – Even though David is moving to find places of physical refuge from Saul and finding safety with intervention from God, in Psalm 142:4 David bemoans a lack of relational refuge with no one taking notice of his plight or showing concern for his soul.  Physical places of safety from harm, regardless of whether it is from a king with a massive army as it was with David (1 Samuel 24:1-2) or an unseen virus as it is in the current coronavirus crisis, can become places of isolation from others.  This isolation can create feelings of no one caring about our plight when the reality is, they may still care for us we have physical separation from them losing communication with them.  Jonathan was David’s trusted and loyal friend promising to be next to him (1 Samuel 23:15-29) but without the benefit of digital media like people have today, Jonathan could not maintain communication with David as he moved from place to place seeking physical refuge.  However, even connection relegated to a digital connection on a screen can create feelings of loneliness for God made us to have physical connection with others (Genesis 2:18).  The greatest example of the need for people to have physical connection with others is the fact that God decided to come to fallen humanity as one of us in the person of Jesus Christ to relate to us and be the substitutionary sacrifice for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:8).  We all need relational interaction in crisis with connection to others and should do so using digital media with the hope and anticipation of when we can physically meet once again.  However, the greatest and most reliable connection we can have in crisis is a connection to God through Jesus Christ who has no need to social distance or shelter in place. 

3)      David finds a refuge of relationship in the Lord (Psalm 142:5) – Even though David is in hiding and separated from connection with his closest friends like Jonathan, he is connected to God (Psalm 142:5).  As a songwriter, David takes this opportunity to write many of the Psalms, including Psalm 142 that continue to bless people today.  Another example of someone forced into isolation is the Apostle Paul.  Paul had a desire to go into the known world of his day and spread the Gospel message in obedience to the Great Commission (Galatians 4:20; Mark 16:15: Matthew 28:19-20).  However, as often happens in the lives of those living in obedience to God, God has other plans for Paul with isolation in prison so he can write many of the books in the New Testament.  During this time of isolation, we have an opportunity to draw closer to God and prepare ourselves for revival. 

Perhaps you are reading this and in quarantine with no physical connection with the outside world.  Perhaps you are in a hospital room or nursing home with your only physical connection being the medical professionals treating you.  I thank God for these professionals, but their role is providing medical care and not serving as replacements for the emotional connections of friends and family.  If that is you, I urge you to do as David did and cry out to God, your refuge in the land of the living (Psalm 142:5).  For those reading this who have never prayed professing belief in God’s gift of His Son (John 3:16) asking God to forgive them of their sins, I urge you to do so now by praying with me.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

We will get through this crisis just as David got through his crisis and became King of Israel.  As we come through this crisis, relational distancing and the resulting screen fatigue will end as we will be able to connect physically even if it is six feet apart and with a mask.  However, like David may we never forget that God is our refuge and never distances himself from his children.  May God bless everyone reading this post.