Some of the sweetest words a parent will ever hear from their child are words of thankful praise. When our oldest son received his Boy Scout Eagle Award, he told everyone at the ceremony, “If I can do half as good a job at raising my kids as my parents did, I’ll be doing pretty good.” Our hearts melted.
Imagine how it pleases God to hear His kids giving him thanks and praise.
“I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!’” (Psalm 91:2)
God knows what every parent experiences – when kids are thankful, they’re not complaining or being critical. They have contentment, peace, and joy.
The believer of Psalm 91:1 is in close fellowship with God, enjoying His protective shelter and refreshing shadow. And now he’s praising God, his refuge and fortress!
Refuge and Fortress
“Refuge” and “fortress” in Psalm 91:2 mean “a fortified shelter from danger and deceit.” We all know what danger is – anything that exposes us to injury, pain, harm, or loss. God’s refuge also protects us from deceit – the enslaving lies of the devil, the father of lies.
Our adversary is the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air. His fearsome words of deception and bondage soar upon sound waves through the air to our ears.
Lies always trap and enslave us in sin, which separates us from God – away from his protective refuge. But when we stay close to God by hiding His Word in our hearts, we’re in His shelter. We are protected from danger, especially that of deception. His Word of truth will enlighten the eyes of our understanding and free us from the shackles of fear.
Fear vs. Faith
The adversary spreads lies to keep us bound in fear, which is the opposite of faith. Wherever we have fear in our hearts, we do not have faith. And wherever we have faith in our hearts, we have no fear. Faith enables us to walk in our God-given authority on this earth and to move mountains. Fear, on the other hand, enslaves us under the adversary’s authority, paralyzing us from walking out on the promises of God.
We can put our trust in many things – the government, money, people – but only God is unswerving in His faithfulness to protect and deliver. May our Father be blessed with sweet words from our lips. “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”
