He Is My Fortress, My "Safe Space"

 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

—Psalm 91:1-2

We hear a lot about “safe spaces” today. Usually, these words are used to describe locations on college campuses where students can be protected against hearing things they don’t want to hear. Instead of teaching our children to listen carefully to everything that people may say and apply discernment in order to decide what speech is useful and helpful, we have raised children that don’t want to hear anything that goes against their own set of presuppositions. This creates a situation that is the very opposite of the concept of “free speech.”

Because free speech is one of the foundational building blocks of a free society, anything that stands in the way of people’s ability to express themselves without fear of suppression also offers a threat to our liberty and our way of life. Instead of needing protection that will shield us from what people may say, we need to develop the ability to receive information from everyone and then, using discernment, make a decision as to what we will believe as individuals.

As Christians, we sometimes need a “safe space” of an entirely different kind. We need a place of refuge from the darkness that surrounds us in our sin-infested world. Fortunately, God lovingly provides such a place. Notice what the Psalmist writes in Psalm 91:1-2:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

As we place ourselves in the shelter of God’s loving arms, we will find ourselves shielded from the darkness that surrounds us. There we will be able to rest and recharge so that we can go out from that place of refuge and, once again, enter the fray. As we begin another day, let’s rejoice that God has given us exactly the kind of “safe place” that we need.

 

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