God Is Our Refuge and Strength
Key Idea
Our protection comes from God. We do not need to live in fear because we can trust Him.
Key Scripture
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1
What Is a Refuge?
Have you ever been outside when a storm suddenly began?
The wind might start blowing. Rain begins falling. You don’t stand outside wishing that you were strong enough to stop the storm.
You look for somewhere safe to go.
You seek shelter.
A refuge is a safe place where someone can go for protection.
The Bible tells us:
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1
God wants His people to trust Him.
Notice that the verse doesn’t only call God our refuge.
It also calls Him our strength and our help.
That is important because sometimes we face things that make us feel weak or afraid.
We don’t have to pretend that we’re never frightened.
Instead, we can remember:
God is my refuge.
God is my strength.
God is my help.
Who Is Stronger?
In the last lesson, we learned that spiritual warfare isn’t like movies and games.
Christians aren’t superheroes with magical powers.
Our strength comes from God.
Sometimes movies, games, books, or other entertainment can make evil look extremely powerful. That can leave children wondering:
“Should I be afraid?”
The Bible gives us a very different focus.
Psalm 46 doesn’t tell God’s people to spend their time thinking about how frightening their enemies are.
It points them toward God.
After declaring that God is our refuge and strength, the Psalm says:
“Therefore will not we fear…”
Psalm 46:2
Why?
Because God is with His people.
Being Brave Doesn’t Mean Never Feeling Afraid
Sometimes people think being brave means never feeling afraid.
But you can feel frightened and still choose to trust God.
Suppose you wake up after having a frightening dream.
You could remind yourself:
God is my refuge and strength.
You can pray.
You can remember Scripture.
You can also go to your parents or another trusted adult and tell them you’re frightened.
Trusting God doesn’t mean that you have to handle everything by yourself.
You Don’t Need Special Objects to Protect You
People sometimes place their trust in objects, symbols, superstitions, or other things because they believe those things will protect them.
Christians don’t need to look for magical protection.
Our trust belongs in God.
A Bible isn’t a magical object. Its importance comes from the truth God has given us in His Word.
Prayer isn’t a magic formula. Prayer is talking to God and depending upon Him.
And the armor of God isn’t an imaginary suit that we physically put on. Ephesians 6 uses the picture of armor to teach us about truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, God’s Word, the gospel of peace, and prayer.
Our confidence isn’t in an object. Our confidence is in God.
Don’t Become Fascinated With Evil
There is another important part of trusting God.
We don’t need to learn everything possible about darkness.
Sometimes people become so interested in demons, evil spirits, supernatural stories, or frightening things that those subjects begin taking up more and more of their attention.
That’s not the purpose of learning about spiritual warfare.
Think about a flashlight in a dark room.
When you turn on the flashlight, you don’t study every part of the darkness.
You pay attention to the light.
In the same way, our study of spiritual things should lead our attention toward God and His truth.
We take evil seriously, but we don’t need to become fascinated by it.
What Should I Do When Something Frightens Me?
Let’s use a simple pattern:
STOP
Don’t let fear control what you do next.
THINK
Ask yourself:
“What do I know about God?”
Maybe you remember:
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1 [biblegateway.com]
PRAY
Tell God exactly what is frightening you.
You don’t need special words.
You can simply say:
“God, I’m scared. Please help me remember that You are with me.”
TALK
If something you’ve seen, heard, dreamed about, or experienced continues to frighten or confuse you, tell your parent or another trusted adult.
You don’t have to face fear alone.
Let’s Practice
Imagine another child tells you a frightening story about something supernatural.
You begin worrying about it.
What should you do?
You don’t need to search the Internet trying to learn everything you can about the frightening subject.
You don’t need to become fascinated with it.
And you don’t need to pretend that you aren’t scared.
Instead:
STOP.
Don’t allow fear to take control.
THINK.
Remember what God’s Word says.
PRAY.
Ask God for help.
TALK.
Tell a trusted adult what you heard and why it bothered you.
Then let your attention return to what you know is true.
God is our refuge and strength.
What About Bad Things That Really Happen?
Trusting God’s protection doesn’t mean Christians believe nothing difficult or painful will ever happen.
Sometimes we get sick.
Sometimes people hurt us.
Sometimes frightening things happen.
Sometimes we face situations that we cannot control.
Psalm 46 itself describes frightening circumstances, yet it continues to point God’s people toward Him as their refuge.
Our confidence isn’t:
“Nothing bad can ever happen to me.”
Our confidence is:
“Whatever happens, I can trust God.”
That’s an important difference.
Where Should My Attention Be?
This entire lesson can be remembered with one simple question:
Am I looking at the darkness, or am I looking toward God?
Spiritual discernment helps us recognize evil.
But recognizing evil isn’t our final goal.
Knowing, trusting, and following God is.
Psalm 46 eventually gives us a wonderful instruction:
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:10
When the world feels frightening or confusing, remember who God is.
Remember
You don’t need magical powers.
You don’t need magical objects.
You don’t need to know everything about evil.
And you don’t have to live in fear.
God is our refuge.
God is our strength.
God is our help.
Today’s Truth
When I am afraid, I can turn toward God instead of becoming focused on what frightens me. My trust and protection are in Him.
Talk About It
- What is a refuge?
- According to Psalm 46:1, who is our refuge and strength?
- Does trusting God mean that we will never feel afraid?
- What can you do when something frightens you?
- Why shouldn’t Christians put their trust in magical objects or superstitions?
- What is the difference between taking evil seriously and becoming fascinated with it?
- Does trusting God mean that nothing difficult will ever happen to us?
- When something frightens you, who are some trusted adults you can talk to?
An Activity: My Refuge Reminder
On a piece of paper, draw a large shield.
Inside the shield write:
GOD IS MY
REFUGE
STRENGTH
HELP
Underneath the shield, write:
Psalm 46:1
Keep your picture somewhere that will remind you where to turn when you’re frightened.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for being my refuge and my strength. When I am frightened, help me remember that I can turn to You. Keep me from becoming fascinated with things that are evil or frightening. Help me learn Your Word, pray, trust You, and talk to someone when I need help. Thank You that I do not have to face my fears alone. Help me keep my attention on You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Parent or Teacher Note
I think an especially important part of this lesson is avoiding the promise that“God protects Christians, therefore nothing bad will happen to you.” That could unintentionally teach children something Scripture itself doesn’t promise.
Instead, the lesson teaches the stronger truth reflected in Psalm 46: God remains our refuge even when frightening or difficult circumstances exist.
It also gives us a nice progression so far:
Lesson 1: How do I recognize truth? → STOP → THINK → COMPARE
Lesson 2: What is spiritual warfare? → My strength is in the Lord.
Lesson 3: Where does my protection come from? → God is my refuge, strength, and help.
That sets up Lesson 4: What Is the Armor of God? very naturally. Instead of children thinking of the armor as magical protection, they’ll already understand that the armor comes from God and teaches us how to stand faithfully in Him.
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