Psalm 91:9-13 says, "If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!" God promised the nation of Israel that if they trusted in the Lord, God would protect them from their enemies. He would bless their land and be successful in everything that they do. The word "if" at the beginning of Psalm 91:9 shows that this is a conditional promise from God. The word "if" requires for the nation of Israel to use their freedom to chooce to make the Lord as their refuge. Not everybody is protected by God, only those who decided to make God their refuge and shelter. Sadly, many Israelites chose not to make God their refuge and shelter because they chose to follow other gods. As a result, their enemies defeated them, lost their land, and became slaves. God even sent prophets to encourage the Israelites to return to God and trust in Him, but to no avail. Their hearts were bent toward their sins, and they didn't want to follow God.
We must also choose to make our Lord our refuge and shelter. Making God our refuge and shelter means that we are willing to surrender our lives to Him by walking in His ways. Surrendering our lives to Him means letting go of our control and letting God control our lives. A good example of this is sitting in a passenger seat and letting God be the driver of our lives. We allow Him to lead us wherever we go, and it is in this position that God can protect us from evil and guide us to the right path. Deciding to make our Lord our refuge and shelter is not a one-time decision, but it is a constant decision that we need to make. Every day, when we wake up, we need to decide for the entire day to make God our refuge and shelter and not trust in our wisdom and strength. When we are suddenly confronted with a difficult or challenging situation, we immediately turn to God in prayer and ask for guidance.
When we continue to decide to make our Lord our refuge and shelter, God will protect us and guide us through our situations. We will not fear because we believe in our hearts that our Lord is going to take care of us.
Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Am I willing to make God my refuge and shelter? What does it mean when I make God my refuge and shelter? What do I do to make God my refuge and shelter?
Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.
Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven, I acknowledge that you are my refuge and shelter. Please help me surrender everything to you and let go of control. You are always in control, and you can protect me more than I can protect myself. Please help me rely on you today in every situation that I face. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
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