Re:Verse reading–Psalm 31 (day three)
“Those who see me on the street flee from me.” David knew how quickly friendships and loyalties could fire up and then fade. Mentors, advisors, friends, his own children—David knew such pain from every side. In the middle of such terrifying instability, words such as “refuge” (verse 1 of this Psalm), “rock”, “fortress”, “rampart”, and the like crop up frequently in David’s descriptions of God. These are the only terms David found that would come close to capturing the sense of sure-footed safety that he had come to know in God’s presence. David could live confidently in the presence of others because he retreated first to God. Jesus Christ stood firmly in this same spiritual rhythm. And he went further. His retreats with God fueled his love for others to the extent that he confidently laid down his life for our sakes.
