“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress:  my God; in him will I trust.”  Psalm 91:2

I watch quite a bit of British TV.  The countryside is lovely and the villages quaint.  Scattered throughout are the castles (or remnants of thereof), built by the wealthy to be their refuge and fortress.  If you had enough money, you could construct a fortified residence that would defend your family militarily. Sometimes the walls of stone were as much as 24 feet thick.  Of course, inside you would not only be safe, but you could bask in the opulence of your own palace. 

Is this what the Psalmist had in mind when he said that the Lord is his refuge and fortress?  It’s my best guess that the answer is no. While the stone fortress kept the enemy out, it also kept the residents confined within.

Our Lord doesn’t want us to stay in hiding, captive behind the bars of our churchiness.  He has told us to “go out into the world.”  But we don’t go out defenseless and vulnerable.  We go out with a God who is with us and in us, a fortress and strength that we can only experience when we put our full trust in Him. 

We don’t need to hide.  We don’t need to be afraid.  God is our refuge.  He is our fortress.  He can strengthen our spiritual resilience and readiness for life’s challenges.  He wants to do this and He will.  Just ask Him. 

Judy