There is a scene in the movie, The Predator, staring Arnold Schwarzenegger, in which Arnold is running away from the alien  predator. The alien does see like we do, but sees body heat and therefore it is almost impossible to hide from him. But in one scene Arnold covers himself completely in mud and hides in the roots of a tree. Because he is covered in the mud, the predator can't see him, even when he is inches away from his face. The mud was all the predator was able to see.

Psalm 31 says, " In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame, in Your righteousness deliver me" (Psalm 31:1).  The psalmist, inspired by the Holy Spirit, prays to be delivered in the righteousness of God and confesses that God is his refuge in which he will never be put to shame. How is God our refuge and how does His righteousness deliver us? One has to see that, because of sin, we are conceived and born under the wrath of the Father. We are conceived and born in sin and that is how the Father sees us, as unclean and covered with the blemishes of transgressions. How can we then have refuge in Him? How can we be delivered by a God who sees only our sins? The law of God does it's work and hunts us down in our sin to bring us to death and reveal our failures. How then can see stand and be delivered and have God as our refuge?

Luther preached in his Cantate Sunday sermon in 1533 saying, "Indeed, what is more comforting than that all sins, regardless how many and great, are canceled, forgiven, covered up, and not reckoned to our account because we believe in Christ, and that he who has such faith is declared righteous nefore God without any work or merit on his part, but solely through faith in Christ? A more comforting message could not be preached to the world!" (Sermons of Martin Luther vol. 2 101).  How are we delivered from the God of wrath and how is He our refuge? Only in Christ are we delivered from the Father's wrath and it is Jesus Himself who is our refuge against sin, death, world, and the power of the devil. Jesus assumed all our sin, literally became us and our sins on the cross, and there was found as the cursed one under the law. He died in our stead and paid the price for our trespasses. He became our blemishes and failures. He, in a blessed exchange, took our sins and now gives us His righteousness and holiness. In short, Jesus covers us up in His righteousness so that the Father no longer sees our sins, but only His Son's righteousness. Like with Arnold, we are covered in Jesus so that the Father sees nothing but Jesus blood that covers all our sins. In Christ, God is our refuge and He delivers us in every time of trouble.

Peace be with you. May the devil be silenced, the world be hushed, and the Old Adam be drowned anew so that you hear only the voice of your Savior Jesus who says, "I forgive you. Your sins are no more. Be at peace, for My Father loves you because He loves Me," Amen.

Jesus' Sheepdog,

Pastor Hull