“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” –Psalm 5:11
Have you ever felt hedged in by the Lord? Have you experienced a time when God protected you from something—or even protected you from yourself?
My first year in Novo was wonderful. I haven’t experienced such a rich and intentional community of Christ-followers in the years since. We were in it together—living within a 10 minute walk of each other, building relationships intentionally, having spiritual conversations with people who wouldn’t darken the door of a church.
That first year was also very hard. As an introvert, I struggled with getting out into the community and getting connected to new people. As someone who cared deeply, I put a lot of pressure on myself to get through to my neighbors, to somehow “make” God real to them. And as someone who was still in recovery from a faith crisis, I struggled to understand what God was up to when the miracles didn’t happen for those I prayed for.
This was especially hard because the journey into missions was my whole world—it was my passion, my joy, what I most wanted. What now?
So I went away to be alone with Jesus on a mountain. I wanted to process what I was experiencing, and process my hoped-for future as a long-term missionary. God, why is this so hard? Why would you give me a sense of calling to something I don’t seem to be good at? Why aren’t you working things out or making my life path clearer?
I heard from God that day. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but it was exactly what I needed: “If I sent you overseas now, it would destroy you—and I love you too much to let that happen to you.” God was hedging me in. He was protecting me from tendencies in myself that made me implode under the weight of ministry. He cared more about me than the ministry I might accomplish.
Psalm 5 speaks about the protection of the Lord. The Hebrew word is sakak, which means to fence, hedge in, shut, block, or weave together. “Let all who take refuge in you be glad … Hedge them in, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.”
We rejoice in God because he is our strong refuge. He is even our refuge at times and in places where we don’t want to be protected. Because he loves us. And his love is our good.
God is so good that even his no is cause for rejoicing.
Lord, help me to recognize your love in all the ways and places you show it, even when it’s not what I want. Let me shout for joy in your goodness, even when the answer is no. Because I trust in you, and you are my strong refuge.
Reflect:
Have you experienced a time when God gave you an answer you didn’t want, but that proved to be for your good?
Are there places it seems like God is saying no right now? What does it look like to trust him with that no?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Megan Reynolds has been with Novo since 2014. After a year with :Beta: Communities in Long Beach, CA, she transitioned onto the communications team, where she still serves today. Additionally, she has a leadership and support role with her husband’s wilderness therapy ministry in Western Colorado. Megan is married to Dean and they have a happy two-year-old, Nathaniel.