Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge
This Sunday the Psalm that is set for us to pray and meditate on is Psalm 16. The Psalm opens “Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.“ The plea “Protect me,“ is common in the Book of Psalms. The word translated as “protect“ is also translated as “keep“ in a number of different psalms usually in the context of God keeping the psalmist from harm while travelling to the place of worship. It is also used as a term to describe the Lord as “your keeper,“ as a title for God. In Genesis 4 Cain denies that he is “his brother’s keeper“, that it is his job to keep watch over his brother. God is portrayed throughout the psalter as being the protector in a way that no human is able. The psalmist recognises that it is only God that can keep them from being harmed.
This is a psalm that gives witness to a life that can only find a place of rest in the presence of God, the protector, the “keeper“. It is a psalm that pushes back against the thought that ultimate security and satisfaction can come from personal achievement or material wealth. The psalm insists that the place where all that good and where all that we need is found in God’s presence. When in those lonely nights we are worried or afraid this is a psalm that enables us to express our trust in God, in who we find our refuge.
God bless you.
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