Psalm 34:8 (NLT) tells us, “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!” Let’s take a moment to digest this beautiful verse. Tasting and seeing are senses that help us engage and interact with the environment and people around us. They allow us to truly encounter and experience the fullness of something so that we can authentically categorize it as either good or bad. Our Heavenly Father invites us in Psalm 34:8 to experience and encounter Him in the most thorough way possible. When we engage Him in this deep and intimate way, we can’t help but recognize that He is good in every way. He calls us to take refuge in Him—to experience Him fully, and when we do, the praises of His faithfulness and goodness will forever be on our lips.
God takes care of our every need, and when it comes to who we will marry, He’s not slack either. The psalmist emphasizes in Psalm 84:11 (NLT): “For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” Having a godly man as a partner is a good thing because it represents God’s protection and provision for the woman. But what does it mean to “take refuge”? It means relying on God for your safety, well-being, and covering from anything or anyone meant to harm you.
All of us need protection, no matter our background or status. As women, we need to have some level of confidence that the man we’ll ultimately marry has our backs. Let’s face it, you don’t have the ability, nor the capacity, to know everything about someone when you’re just getting to know them. Many married women will attest that they still don’t know certain aspects of their husbands. But at least, you can trust that as long as you have the ability to hear from God, He’ll make sure your steps are ordered and shielded from a disastrous situation.
Many single Christian believers find it challenging to trust the Father in this area because of their past. We are creatures of habit— even when a relationship is over, we may rehash the things we used to do with an ex-boyfriend or ex-husband because it’s easier to look back and believe that our best days have passed us by. But the truth is that better days are ahead of you.
We often spend a great deal of energy thinking about the man who once made us feel good about ourselves and the world, rather than focusing our thoughts on what God will do for us now and in the future. In Isaiah 43:18-19 (NLT), God reminds us, “But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” God is inviting us to release the past and look forward to the new and wonderful things He has prepared for us. When we shift our focus from past relationships to His promises, we can embrace the future with hope and anticipation for His greater plan.
God is our Provider and Protector, and when this truth is anchored in our minds and hearts, we are positioned to start new relationships from a place of strength and confidence. Our Heavenly Father works through the right man to support us, just as we are called to reciprocate that same support. When we understand that God is our ultimate source of provision and protection, we can enter relationships not out of need or insecurity, but with the strength and assurance that we are already whole in Him.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“God’s Provision and Protection”, written by Kim Times, edited by Rev. Fran Mack and KLizzie for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.