“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” – Psalm 91:1-2, NIV
I worried too much about my children’s safety when they were growing up – as many moms do. As a mother, I felt like my heart was living outside my body. It went wherever my daughter and son went, and when the rest of me couldn’t be there with them in person, I worried that I couldn’t protect them from the many dangers in this fallen world. No matter how hard I tried to stop worries from swirling around my mind, I couldn’t do that, either. Thankfully, I finally learned to turn my worries into prayers. The more I trusted the only One with the power to protect my children in all situations, the less anxiety I felt about their safety.
It’s natural to be concerned about your children’s safety. But you can’t control every germ, every driver on the road, or every choice they make when they are out of your sight. If you try to carry the full weight of their safety on your own shoulders, you’ll end up exhausted and anxious. The assurance the Bible gives you in Psalm 91:1-2 about God’s protection is like a lifeline that helps you overcome anxiety with God’s help.
These verses describe dwelling in God's shelter. When you dwell in God’s shelter, you’re living there by constantly connecting with God’s presence. When you do this, you rest in God’s shadow, which means that God is right next to you. God isn’t watching you and your children from a distance. Instead, he’s nearby, and he’s covering you and your children with presence. You and your children are all safely in the shadow of Almighty God! Then, these verses call God a refuge and a fortress. A refuge is a place you go for emotional and spiritual safety. It’s like a hideout for your heart. A fortress is a place of strength and defense.
You might feel like you need to be the fortress for your kids. Maybe you want to be the one who keeps the bad things out of their lives and the good things in. But while God has given you the beautiful job of nurturing your children, he never intended for you to be their ultimate fortress. That’s his job. When you say, along with these verses, that you trust God to be your refuge and fortress, you’re saying that you’re willing to let go of trying to control your children’s safety and instead trust God to protect them in all situations. But when you let go, your faith can grow.
Trusting God is a choice you have to make a lot – often multiple times a day. When you drop your children off at school, remember that God is their refuge. When they start driving on their own, you can remember that they’re in God’s shadow wherever they go. When your children are struggling with friends or in some other way, you can ask God to help them, because God is their fortress. There are no limits to God’s power. So, your children are protected by someone much stronger than you, who can do far more for them than you can. God can be everywhere your children go, and he can give them absolutely anything they need, whenever they need it.
So, if you catch yourself worrying about your children’s safety, turn your worries into prayers. Ask the Almighty God to protect your children and handle whatever situations concern you. Remind yourself that you can trust God to answer your prayers, and that God’s presence is right there with you and your children in all circumstances. Choose to rest in God’s shadow and let him be a refuge and fortress for you and your children wherever you are.
Let’s Pray ...
Dear God,
I’m often worried about my children. I confess that I try to be their protector in my own strength, and that leaves me feeling tired and afraid. So right now, I choose to place them back into your hands. Thank you for being our refuge and fortress. I trust you to watch over them when I can’t, to guide their steps, and to meet all of their needs. I can’t anticipate all the dangers they’ll face in this fallen world, but you can, and you’re strong enough to protect them from absolutely anything that can harm them. I’m letting go of trying to control my children’s safety. I want to rest in your care, and I want my children to do the same. I’ll do my best for my children while trusting you to do what I can’t do. Thank you, God.
Amen.
What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images /RyanJLane
Related Resource: Hope, Chronic Illness, and Trusting God with Your Kids
When faced with parenting crises, special-needs challenges, fear, and exhaustion, how do you keep moving forward?
Sarah Walton is an author, wife, and mom of four whose family has faced chronic illness, a son with severe behavioral episodes, and years of uncertainty without answers. In this conversation, Sarah talks about what it looked like to survive the hardest seasons of motherhood and how her faith carried her through.
She shares how she learned to grieve her expectations, hold hope and acceptance together, and find small joys when everything felt dark. She also offers practical words for how to support a friend who is suffering — and what not to say. Her new book is "Jesus Will Meet You There." If you like what you hear, be sure to follow The Happy Home Podcast with Arlene Pellicane on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Tuesday, 28 July 2026.
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