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

Does an uncertain future hold some apprehension for you? The golden years hold many potentially overwhelming possibilities, especially for single women, widows, and even couples without children. Maybe you have a large family, but you don’t want to depend solely on them, and living independently as you age creates some trepidation.

We all know folks who are walking through these seasons right now. A sudden illness or accident might bring these thoughts to the forefront of our minds. Yes, God is my refuge and fortress. Yes, I trust in Him, but my mind travels to a time when I’m not as independent as I am today.

Even now, you might be walking through a valley that has stirred up some fears. How am I going to buy this medicine? How am I going to get my groceries? How will I get to my doctors’ appointments?

Please understand my friend, I have asked these same questions. I have shared the same fears, but God showed me something as I unpacked today’s passage.

I am still afraid because self-consciously, I trust in other refuges, and not fully in God. When the bank account is full, we don’t tend to worry about money like we would if our funds were running short. When we are blessed with good health, we wrongly believe we will always be strong. When we are self-sufficient, we don’t ask for help.

There’s just one problem with these wonderful circumstances: The bank becomes our refuge, our health becomes our refuge, and our self-sufficiency becomes our refuge.

We don’t realize how much we are trusting in these refuges. When something or someone other than God becomes our refuge, it has taken the place of God. It is now a modern-day idol.

When God showed me this truth, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it before. One reason for fear is that our worldly refuges are depleted. When they’re full, life is great. Praise God for His abundant blessings. But pull one away from me, and fear holds me hostage.

We need to get to the place where God is not just a refuge, but He is our only refuge. God can provide when the bank account is empty. God can heal when our health fails, and God is the only one we should ever depend on.

We live in this world, but we must untangle ourselves from the world. Fear arises from many sources, especially from our enemy, but trusting in idols creates a panic when the idols fail us.

There’s no harm in having money or good health. God gives us those blessings, but He can snatch them away if they become our gods.

Depend on the Blesser, not the blessing.

Money will fail. Health will fail. People will fail, but God will always be faithful.

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Lord God, I want to release all earthly idols and refuges. I thank You for my many blessings, but You, Lord, are my only refuge. Help me only trust in You forever. Amen.

DIG DEEPER

Read 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

HIKING THE TRAIL

Write this above verse down and place it somewhere you will see it often as a reminder. Whenever we feel fear, it is a warning that something is wrong, because fear doesn’t come from God.

RELATED RESOURCE

Join a group of women walking in deeper faith on Facebook. I’m Carolyn Dale Newell, and I would be thrilled if you join us at A Mountain of Faith Women’s Ministry. Here’s the link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/140942697610835/

Originally posted on October 19, 2023 @ 8:08 pm