The Lord is [Migdal-Oz] for the oppressed,
Psalm 9:9-10
a refuge in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.
Migdal-Oz: My Strong Tower (or my Shelter, My Stronghold)
The introduction to this Psalm is “This is a Psalm of David.” Of course it is. Who else would it be? David is exactly the person I’d expect to know God from every angle he could.
This is the first of 22 names of God on my list from the Psalms, and most of them were Psalms of David. These 22 names aren’t the only names used in this book, but they are either used here first, or at least most quintessentially. David studied this God, he meditated on Him, and he really fully relied on Him. The more I read about David’s life, the more I see he didn’t have much of a choice.
David spent a lot of his life on the run. He was hunted by his own king, to whom he continually showed unbelievable loyalty despite. He was the man who confronted Goliath, and he spent many years of his life – running. Not because he was afraid, but because he was convicted to protect a man who wanted to murder him! Oof.
One thing David knew well from his life on the run was all about refuges. Safe places where, for a moment, a man could stop running and just live. Safe places, protected places. And the place he found peace the most – was in Migdal-Oz, his Shelter. ❤