Giving Thanks for the Hidden Refuge
By Sarah Frazer
Bible Reading
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1 (ESV)
Saying “thank you” is a polite and often expected response when someone does something nice to us. Whenever a friend makes a meal, or shows up after a hard day we say thank you. Maybe someone we know just sits with us and listens. Perhaps a stranger might open the door or hold the elevator. We know that those actions deserve a “thanks.” Do we ever stop to wonder if we are giving thanks to God for things?
It is easy to give thanks to Him for past actions, but what if we gave Him thanks for future things? Psalm 91 is not necessarily the psalm we go to in order to find words to give thanks. It doesn’t even have the the words thanksgiving or thanks in it. I think there is one specific thing we can see in this psalm that can cause our hearts to leap with thanksgiving.
Psalm 91 is a future psalm. It promises us that God will be there. The word “will” or a similar word is used almost twenty times. The author is telling himself (and us) that God will…protect, satisfy, love, and guide. It is a future prediction of how God will show up for us. One of the main themes of Psalm 91 is that God is our refuge. As we look at what this refuge can give us, I think we can more readily give God thanks.
A refuge is shelter or protection from danger. We don’t have to look very hard at our lives to see the dangers we face. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually we face the possibility of risk around every corner. It is true that we live in precarious times.
So did the author of Psalm 91. He mentions “deadly pestilence” in verse 3, “terrors” and “arrows” in verse 5, “destruction” in verse 6, and even “evil….and plagues” in verse 10. The author describes times of trouble both day and night, implying all of the time. Life has always been hard and sometimes it seems Christians have it much harder in this world.
The hope we find and the reason we can give thanks today is that no matter what will come in the future, God will be our refuge of protection. He is stronger and more powerful than any evil around us. Nothing can truly harm us, and for this we give thanks.
I call this a “hidden” refuge because we often forget that God is all around us, all of the time. If we are a Christian, His Holy Spirit indwells us, and the Bible promises that God never leaves us. This refuge is always there but sometimes we forget. It isn’t a physical refuge like a fortress with stone walls or a tent to run into physically. Our God’s refuge, although invisible to the physical eyes, is very real.
Psalm 91 helps show us all of the ways God is our refuge. In verse 3 it says God protects us from the craftiness of the enemy. In verses 5-6 we are reminded that God protects us from the attacks we can see during the day but also those at night. Even the things we might not even see coming God is there is to keep us safe.
God also is our faithful refuge, which is found in verse 4. Everything we suffer and endure passes through the loving hands of God. We can trust that no harm is permanent and God sees us through each storm.
Our hearts often forget and that is why the practice of giving thanks for God as our refuge helps align our hearts to this truth. We might feel forsaken, lost, and unprotected in our storms, but God’s refuge is there.
When we read passages like Psalm 91:1-2 we can take such great comfort but also it gives us pause to give thanks. We can proclaim like the psalmist: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”
After we have told the Lord that he is our refuge and we can trust Him, we can also say, “Thank you!”
Intersecting Faith & Life:
What do we need to do to have God be our refuge? The answer is in the least three verses. These verses are from God’s point of view. God is speaking about you and me when we place our faith in Him.
“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16
Notice that there are only three things required of us to have God as our refuge. The first is to hold fast to God in love. Loving God, holding fast, believing and trusting God is the first step. The next is to know God’s name. To know someone’s name meant to really know them as a person. Once we put our trust in God we begin to see how trustworthy He truly is. As we study and learn more about God’s character we find ourselves more and more comforted. The last thing is to call out to God. After placing our trust in God, getting to know God’s character, it is only natural that we call out to God in our trouble.
Which step of this process are you on? Have you decided to trust God with your life? Do you seek to know and learn more about Him through His word? And have you called out to Him in the midst of your troubles?
What might be keeping you from seeking God as your refuge today?
When was the last time you thanked God for being your refuge? How has He protected you? Take a moment to read through Psalm 91 and stop after each verse to give thanks to Him for being your refuge.
Further Reading:
Isaiah 25:4
Psalm 46
Hebrews 13:5-6
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Anna Rozwadowska
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