Taking Our Refuge in the Lord

Earlier this year I was confronted with personal walls I had built in my life. These were walls of protection around my heart that had been built over years of disappointment, trauma, and betrayal. I found myself in a place where these walls were interfering with my relationships, mostly my relationship with the Lord and with my husband. But this is the crazy thing; it wasn’t just a matter of people not being able to get in, but I felt I couldn’t  get out. I found myself undone before the Lord asking for solutions. 

The Lord reminded me that he is my fortress and my place of safety. And he brought to mind one of my favorite scriptures. In fact, I have it tattooed on my arm, Psalm 27:1 “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom should I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom should I dread?”  

The word defense is often translated as a stronghold, a fortress, or a hold. The Lord repeatedly reminded me he is my fortress. He is my place of safety. Holy Spirit gently prompted me that it was time to retreat into him. 

A few weeks later, I was at a conference and we were instructed to ask the Holy Spirit  what He wanted to tell us during the week of the conference. As I sat and listened to Holy Spirit, I heard him say, “Put down the boxing gloves.” Again reinforcing that I didn’t need to defend myself.

As I processed through these thoughts, I started going through the many Psalms that refer to God as a fortress, or a refuge. It is amazing to me that David, a man known to be a warrior and someone who we knew did not run away from a fight, repeatedly refers to God as a fortress. He even cried out to God to be his defense from his enemies or the situations around him. 

How crazy is it that I think I can defend my own life and handle the things coming up against me on my own when the “Man after God’s own heart” so desperately needed divine protection. 

I have heard the Father so gently calling to me, “Run to me.” He has repeatedly said, “Put down your weapons, retreat into me.”  How could it be that the answer to tearing down the walls of my own defense comes with surrender? It comes in retreat. 

This is my encouragement to you. First ask yourself, “Am I dwelling in the right fortress?” Holy Spirit is gently inviting each of us to take refuge in Him.