Hey Purpose Family,

We all want a place to feel safe. A place to catch our breath. A place where the noise dies down and we can just be.

Man calls it a vacation. A relationship. A new routine.
God calls it refuge.

But here’s the question:
Where is your refuge?
Not where you run when life is good. But where you run when it hurts. When you're tired. When you're stretched thin and slowly unraveling.

Scripture says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” — Psalm 46:1

But if we're honest, most of us don’t run to Him first.

We run to distraction.
We run to control.
We run to people who can’t carry the weight we’re placing on them.
We run to the illusion of safety in things God never meant to sustain us.

The First Refuge

In the beginning, refuge wasn’t a theory or a coping mechanism. It was a place.
Eden.

The garden.

A holy space where man walked with God in the cool of the day. No fear. No shame. No striving.

Eden was more than paradise, it was a prototype.
It wasn’t just where we lived. It was how we were meant to live.
In rhythm. In relationship. In rest.

That was the original refuge. A place influenced by heaven, where the presence of God was the safety.

And then… we stepped out.

We chose independence over intimacy. Knowledge over trust.
We traded our refuge for the illusion of control. And we’ve been building shelters out of sand ever since.

Where We Go Wrong

We think refuge is a break from responsibility.
But God says it’s the presence that restores your strength to carry it.
We think refuge is found in people.
But God says it’s found in Him, then shared with others.
We think refuge is an escape.
But God says it’s a return.
A return to the garden.
A return to the One who designed you for communion, not chaos.

And here’s the thing. You don’t need to book a flight or go off the grid to find refuge.
You just need to slow down long enough to realize He never left.

How to Build Refuge Again

Refuge today might look like:

• Waking up 15 minutes earlier to sit in silence and let your soul breathe

• Opening the Bible not out of guilt, but to be reminded of who God is

• Going on a walk without your phone and praying like He’s actually listening

• Writing down what’s heavy and inviting Him to carry it with you

Final Word

If Eden was the first refuge, then Jesus is the open door back to it.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” 
Matthew 11:28

God’s presence is still the safest place to be.
So the next time you feel overwhelmed, anxious, restless, or unworthy..
Don’t scroll.
Don’t run.
Don’t numb.

Retreat.
Return.
Be still.

Your refuge is waiting.
And He’s been there the whole time.