Psalm 91: Supernatural Protection in Times of Anxietyნიმუში

SEEKING A SAFE REFUGE

In times of fear and anxiety, we usually face several options—and choosing the right one will determine not only survival, but whether we can experience abundant life even in the middle of hardship.

Our first instinct is often to run away, pretending the problem doesn’t exist. But that has never been a good option, and it’s not the way of the gospel. “Be strong and courageous” quickly rises in our memory as the counterweight to that temptation to look the other way.

But what does it really mean to face our struggles? Here’s where we often confuse bold recklessness with true courage. The command is not “Be strong and reckless,” but “Be strong and courageous.” And the reason is what makes all the difference: “because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

This is the very principle we find in the opening lines of Psalm 91. Whoever chooses to dwell in the shelter of the Most High rests in the shadow of the Almighty. They have chosen the safest refuge, which means their response to hardship is not as simple as “run” or “charge ahead recklessly.” Instead, believers have another option that should never slip past us:

• We refuse to fight the battle alone.
• We choose a safe refuge in which to hide and be sheltered.
• From that strategic place, we face the struggle.
• And it’s not only that God shelters us—He is our strength.

In moments of fear and distress, we don’t deny our emotions. We simply choose where we will dwell. It all begins with a decision.

Even the so-called “brave” person who insists on facing snares, traps, plagues, terrors, or enemies on their own is, in truth, reckless. No one is weaker than the one who believes themselves too strong.

The psalmist is clear: the Lord is our refuge. The Almighty is our fortress. He is the God we trust, the one who commands His angels to watch over us, the one who delivers and protects—even beyond death itself.

We hide in Him so that, from Him, we can face the dangers that surround us.