Safe Place

Psalms 46:1 TPT God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge! You’re a proven help in time of trouble— more than enough and always available whenever I need you.

Over the past decade, we have seen and heard the loud calls from university campuses and other settings for a ‘safe place’. A place intended to be free of bias, conflict, or criticism. But the concept of a safe space did not originate with Gen Z or the 1940’s work of psychologist Kurt Lewin, (credited with the idea). God designed us to long for a safe place, and He is the original and only safe place.

Every person who has lived has experienced trials, troubles, and tribulations on some level. The question is not when trouble will come, but how we will respond. Every human need, whether physical, emotional, or psychological, was designed in you by God for the purpose of revealing himself and for Him to meet each one. God desires to make himself known to you, and often that comes through experiencing challenging times and circumstances.

Many of the Hebrew names for God are responses to life’s trials. El Roi, meaning ‘the God who sees me’ comes from when Hagar was seeking a safe refuge after fleeing Sari. Jehovah-Tsuri means ‘the Lord is my rock’, a reminder that God is a refuge and safe place forevermore (Psalm 18:2). Jehovah-Jireh means ‘the Lord will provide’ for every need. Paul had to remind the Philippians of this when he wrote, “And God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus“ (Philippians 4:19). God sees you, He hears you, and He is a safe place for you. How often do we need to remind ourselves of this marvelous promise and share it with others?

The Hebrew word for refuge is chacah, meaning ‘to flee for protection, to confide in, to put one’s trust in.’ When we fail to run to God as our place of physical, mental and emotional safety, we are left grasping for people to meet a need they can never fulfill. God alone can give us what we need—whether it’s His love and strength, a sense of security, the knowledge that we are not alone, or the answer to a difficult situation. He carries our burdens (“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens” Psalm 68:19), brings peace to our hurting hearts (“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed” Psalm 34:18), and is not limited by anything (“With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" Matthew 19:26).

It is no coincidence that King David wrote so often of God being a place of refuge and safety. For eight years, David was unjustly pursued by King Saul under the constant threat of death, seeking refuge. David showed the first step of finding refuge is to go to God the Father in prayer. Crying out to Him, confiding our fears, our hopes, our feelings of anxiety, our confusion, and our lack of ability to fix things. For God to be a true refuge, we must be honest with Him. Prayer isn’t how God learns what we are thinking…He already knows before we speak (Psalm 139:4). Real prayer is when we hear from God and he reveals what is in our hearts. When we talk to Him in honest conversation, we expose what we are really thinking, and receive the peace, hope, and understanding that God is surrounding us through the troubles.

Whatever trials you are facing, run to Him and allow the Father to make himself known to you as the safe place, the true refuge in times of trouble. For a generation seeking a ‘safe place’, we must point them toward the only refuge that will save and heal their souls. We have the only safe place.

Proverbs 18:10 AMP The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs to it and is safe and set on high far above evil. 

2 Samuel 22:2-3 NLT The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.

Psalms 91:1-2 NLT Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

Isaiah 26:3-4 NLT You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

Psalm 144:2 GNT He is my protector and defender, my shelter and savior, in whom I trust for safety.

Psalm 61:3-4 NLT Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!

Psalms 27:1 NLT The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?

Psalms 18:2-3 NLT The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.

Psalms 56:1-4 TPT Lord, show me your kindness and mercy, for these men oppose and oppress me all day long. Not a day goes by without somebody harassing me. So many in their pride trample me under their feet. But in the day that I’m afraid, I lay all my fears before you and trust in you with all my heart. What harm could a man bring to me? With God on my side, I will not be afraid of what comes. The roaring praises of God fill my heart as I trust his promises.

Psalms 91:14-16 NLT The Lord says, I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.

Isaiah 57:15-16 TPT For this is what the high and majestic one says, the one who fills the eternal realm with glory, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in high and holy places but also with the bruised and lowly in spirit, those who are humble and quick to repent. I dwell with them to revive the spirit of the humble, to revive the heart of those who are broken over their sin. You will not find me continually accusing them or holding anger against them, lest they feel defeated and lose heart before me. For I am the One who gave the breath of life to my people.

Isaiah 12:2 TPT Behold—God is my salvation! I am confident, unafraid, and I will trust in you. Yes! The Lord Yah is my might and my melody; he has become my salvation!

Psalm 142:4-5 GNT When I look beside me, I see that there is no one to help me, no one to protect me. No one cares for me. Lord, I cry to you for help; you, Lord, are my protector; you are all I want in this life.