Laura Ingle

Key scripture – “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2).

Over and over the promise is made—not just that God will provide a refuge but that he will be a refuge. But that promise cannot be fulfilled if we don’t have enough sense to run to God whenever we are in trouble.

What does it mean to “run to God”? It is more than a pretty metaphor. The “running,” which the psalmist speaks of involves: praying as a first resort, aligning our lives with God’s values, yielding to his Spirit, and trusting him to act for our good even when life seems the exact opposite of good.

Take a few moments to reflect on the trouble spots in your own life. What has kept you from experiencing God as your refuge? Have you been seeking shelter elsewhere? Are you angry at God for letting you down? Or have you dug yourself into a hole that you now think you have to dig yourself out of? Do you feel guilty and unworthy of God’s help? Do you think your situation is impossible? Or are you merely the self-reliant independent type?

If you said “yes” to any of the above, run to God and proclaim these promises as your own.

Dwelling Place

Express your longing to dwell with God. “The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.” (Psalm 27:4-5)

Envision God as your dwelling place. “Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.” (Psalm 90:1-2)

Recall how lovely is God’s dwelling place. “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.”(Psalm 84:1)

Recall how a single day in God’s courts are better than a thousand elsewhere. “A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.” (Psalm 84:10).

Refuge

Remember that God cares for those who trust him. “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” (Nahum 1:7)

Believe that the Lord is an ever-present help. “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

Know that the eternal God is our refuge. “The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you; he cries out, ‘Destroy them!’” (Deuteronomy 33:27)

Find rest in God. “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. (Psalm 62:5-7)

“When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous have a refuge.” (Proverbs 14:32)

Shield

Be confident because God is your shield and great reward. (Genesis 15:1)

Remember that God is a shield and helper against enemies. “How blessed you are, O Israel! Who else is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword! Your enemies will cringe before you,and you will stomp on their backs!” (Deuteronomy 33:29)

Call on the Lord, who is your strength and your shield. “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” (Psalm 28:7)

Rejoice because the Lord God is a sun and shield. “For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” (Psalm 84:11)

“For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12)

Fortress

Proclaim that the Lord is your fortress and deliverer. “David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.” (2 Samuel 22:1-4)

Refuse to give in to fear because God is your fortress. “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.” (Psalm 46:7)

Let your soul find rest in God. “I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.” (Psalm 62:1-2)

Strong Tower

Remember that God is a strong tower against the foe. “For you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. (Psalm 61:3). The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. “The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

Pray this – My Precious Heavenly Father, I want to grasp, not just the theory of Your faithfulness, but the experience of it. I run to You, The Lord God Almighty the Maker of Heaven and Earth, where I am safe because as Your Word says, You are my refuge, my dwelling place, shield, fortress, and strong tower. I take hold of and proclaim all of these promises as mine because I am a child of God. I know that I have nothing to fear. Thank You for all the promises in scripture that are associated with Your Awesome, Precious, Glorious Name. In the Name of Jesus, the Name above all names, I pray, Amen.