The mighty refuge psalm, Psalm 91, has a progression to it. First comes the promise:

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Then, a recitation of the many ways that El Shaddai will protect us. Rescue from every trap and protection from deadly disease, the terrors of night, the arrow that flies by day. Oh to experience it! How humanity needs this in such a wicked hour.

Nine verses in, there comes a critical turning point:

If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
no evil will conquer you. (verses 9–10)

That “if” is revelatory.

The refuge of God and his Kingdom is only for those who choose to take part in it. This fact is so irritating to human nature. We just want to get on with our life and have God cover us. That’s not quite how things work.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:1–4)

Hmmm ... Jesus is laying out conditions for a flourishing life. Were you aware there were conditions?

He goes on,

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:5–7)

There is that irritating “if” again. If we remain in him, the refuge and resources of God are ours.

Here is the simple fact: You can choose to leave the protection of God. People do it all the time. You can choose to live within God and his Kingdom refuge, or you can choose to live outside of it.

“Remain in me,” Jesus urges. You can almost hear the plea in his voice: Stay in Me; don’t operate in anything outside of me. But we are stubborn creatures, we humans.

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