Dwelling in God’s Shelter When There’s No Safety Net
The government shutdown may have ended, but the uncertainty hasn’t. Another shutdown looms at the end of January. Healthcare for 2026 remains unclear. And many of us—myself included—are unemployed, while politicians who never missed a paycheck during the shutdown continue making decisions that affect our survival.
In Part 1, we talked about the painful disconnect between the Jesus we know and the Christianity that’s currently being weaponized by Christian Nationalism. We named the problem. We grieved the harm. We committed to staying anchored in the real Jesus.
I told you we’d go back to the Gospels in Part 2, back to what Jesus said, how He lived, who He welcomed. And we will, eventually. But as I sat down to write this week, I realized: I need to talk about leaning on Jesus with every fiber of our being during these uncertain times. That’s the word we need right now.
We’ll get back to the Gospels at another time. Right now, we need something more immediate. We need to know where to stand when earthly systems fail us. We need to know where to dwell when there’s no safety net, no government support, no political party coming to save us.
Republicans blame Democrats. Democrats blame Republicans. And meanwhile, we—the people—are left wondering how we’re supposed to survive. No party platform is going to be my refuge. No government program—as helpful as they can be—is my ultimate security.
When we finally realize that they are Republicans and Democrats, but we aren’t really either—we’re Kingdom citizens first—something shifts. We will stop looking to earthly systems as our saviors and remember who actually holds us.
So in Part 2, we’re going to the Psalms. Not because we’re ignoring the chaos, but because we need an anchor that holds us down when everything else is falling apart.
We go to the shelter that never closes. The refuge that never runs out. The God who never fails.
When There’s No One Coming to Save Us
Let me share what’s happening with me right now: I’ve been unemployed and looking for employment for over a year. I don’t know what my healthcare situation will look like in 2026. And I’m tired of watching politicians who never missed a paycheck make decisions that directly impact whether I can afford to see a doctor or pay my bills.
You may be in a similar place. You may be watching your savings dwindle while Congress plays political theater. You may be one medical emergency away from financial disaster, and the people with the power to help seem more interested in scoring points against the other party than actually serving the people.
Here’s the truth: No politician is coming to save me. The current administration does not care about me. I refuse to put my confidence in powerful people; there is no help for me there. [Psalm 146:3 (NLT)].
So, where do we go when there’s no safety net? And where do we go when the systems designed to support us are failing, or when the people in power seem to have forgotten we exist?
We go to the shelter that never closes, the refuge that never runs out, and the God who never fails. I promise you-He’ll never let you down.
✨ Journal Prompt:
Where have you been putting your trust—in political outcomes, in government programs, in your own ability to figure it out? Be honest with yourself. Then ask: what would it look like to shift that trust back to God while still taking practical action?
What It Means to Dwell
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand]. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely.’” — Psalm 91:1-2 (NIV)
There are a few words that stand out for me in this passage, but let’s focus on the word: dwell.
That’s not a visit or just stopping by occasionally when things get hard. It’s not a simple check-in with God when you remember to pray.
Dwell.
To dwell means to live somewhere. It’s your permanent home. You’re staying there, consistently, intentionally, even after the trial is over and life feels manageable again.
In this season of unemployment and uncertainty, I can’t just visit God’s shelter when I’m feeling desperate and overwhelmed. I have to live there. I have to make His presence my actual home, the place I return to rest, the place where my identity is rooted.
“Rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
This isn’t passive hoping or wishful thinking. It’s active rest, the kind that says, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here in the shadow of God, where I’m covered, protected, and where I can finally breathe.”
When there’s no safety net beneath me, I rest in God’s shadow.
When politicians make decisions that hurt me, I will rest in His shadow.
When I don’t know how the bills will get paid or if I’ll have health insurance next year, I will rest in His shadow.
And then comes the declaration: “I will say of the LORD…”
Not “I hope.” Not “I wish.” Not “maybe if things work out.”
I will say.
This is a choice, it’s an act of faith. A declaration made in the middle of uncertainty, not after everything is resolved.
“He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Refuge—a safe place when everything around me feels unsafe.
Fortress—strong walls when I feel vulnerable and exposed.
My God—not a distant deity, but my all-knowing, all-powerful, faithful Father.
In whom I trust.
Not in politicians. Not in systems. And definitely not in my own ability to figure it all out.
In Him.
This is where I’m dwelling right now, sis. Not because I have it all figured out, or because the fear has disappeared, or the unemployment has ended, or healthcare is suddenly secure.
But because this is the only true shelter. And when I’m here, I mean, really here, dwelling and not just visiting, I will find a rest I can’t manufacture on my own.
I know I make it sound easy, but it’s as simple as making a choice. You have to choose to rest in the Lord when things are tumultuous and scary. When you choose to rest in Jesus, faith is required.
✨ Journal Prompt:
What does “dwelling” in God look like for you right now? Not just visiting Him in prayer, but actually making His presence your home when everything else feels unstable? Write about one way you can practice dwelling this week—and what faith is required to make that choice.
Permission to Be Honest with God
“Trust [confidently] in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8 (AMP)
I love this verse because it gives us permission to be completely vulnerable and free with God. You can share everything with Him, all your mess and every one of your fears.
Pour out your hearts.
That doesn’t mean, “clean up your emotions first.” Or, “make sure you sound spiritual.” -Or better yet, “wait until you feel less angry or scared or exhausted.”
Just. Pour. It. All.Out.
I have poured out all my fears about healthcare. The anger and disappointment I have towards politicians who still get paid while many of us are struggling. The frustration I feel from job searching for over a year. The questions I ask God about why He hasn’t stepped in and fixed it yet..
God can handle your honesty. He already knows what you’re feeling anyway. This isn’t for His benefit, it’s for yours.
I’ve had to learn this in my own dwelling place. Some days, my prayers don’t sound very holy. Some days, I’m just pouring out fear: “God, I don’t know how I’m going to pay for healthcare. Lord, You know I just don’t want a ‘job’ this time around, I want more. I’m tired of waiting. I’m scared.”
And you know what? God doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t tell me to be more spiritual or have more faith. He just sits with me in it. Because He’s my refuge, and a refuge is where you run when things are falling apart all around you, it’s not where you show up after you’ve pulled yourself together.
“Trust in him at all times.”
At all times means now, during a government shutdown, in the midst of unemployment, and in the middle of all the mess.
Trusting God doesn’t mean you’re not scared. It means you bring the scary parts to Him and let Him hold them.
So pour it all out, friend. The ugly prayers. The frustrated questions. The honest-to-God fear that maybe this time, the safety net really won’t appear.
He’s big enough for it. And He’s still your refuge.
✨ Journal Prompt:
Psalm 62:8 says, “pour out your heart before Him.” What do you need to pour out right now? Your fear about healthcare? Anger at politicians? Exhaustion from job searching? The questions you’ve been afraid to ask God? Write it all down. He can handle it all.
Active Faith When Everything Feels Uncertain
We know now where we dwell (God’s shelter) and how we process (pouring out our hearts). But here’s the question I keep getting: What do we actually DO while we wait?
Because dwelling in God doesn’t mean doing nothing, and pouring out our hearts doesn’t mean we sit passively and hope things magically work out.
Active faith means we trust God AND we take action. Faith without works is dead! (James 2:17) We rest in His sovereignty, AND we do what’s in front of us to do.
Here’s what that looks like for me right now:
I’m still applying for jobs. I’m trusting God to provide, but I’m also updating my resume. Faith doesn’t replace responsibility; it empowers it.
I’m still supporting my community. When government systems fail, the body of Christ steps up. We share resources. We pray for each other. We encourage each other. That’s Kingdom citizenship in action.
I’m still praying specifically. Not vague “bless me” prayers, but honest, specific requests: “God, I need a job that uses my gifts and pays my bills. I need healthcare I can afford. I need a financial blessing this month.” God invites us to ask.
I’m still remembering past faithfulness. When fear tries to convince me God won’t show up this time, I remind myself: He’s never failed me before. Not once. He’s always been my provider, my healer, my refuge. And He will always be right here for me.
This is active faith, sis, not passive hoping. It’s trusting God with the outcome while doing what He’s put in front of us to do.
And sometimes, well, honestly, most of the time, it’s really messy. Some days I trust boldly. Other days, I’m scared and barely hanging on. But even then, I’m still dwelling, still pouring out, and still choosing to rest in the shadow of the Almighty God.
That’s enough. That’s faith.
We’re Not Republicans or Democrats—We’re Kingdom Citizens
In Part 1, I shared that Christian Nationalism weaponizes faith to serve political agendas or justify hate or prejudice instead of reflecting Jesus. We named the disconnect between the Christianity being proclaimed from certain platforms and the Jesus we actually know.
And here’s where it all comes together: When we remember our true identity, when we dwell in God’s shelter instead of political ideology, everything shifts.
We’re not Republicans first. We’re not Democrats first. We’re Kingdom citizens.
That doesn’t mean we don’t care about politics or justice, because we absolutely should. Jesus cared deeply about the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed. He spoke truth to power. He challenged systems that harmed people.
But our true allegiance is to Him alone. Our citizenship is in heaven. Our security is in God, not in which party holds power.
Political parties will always disappoint us because they were never meant to be our saviors. Only Jesus is.
Republicans will fail us. Democrats will fail us. Every earthly system will eventually fall short because they’re run by imperfect people with personal agendas and mixed motives.
But God? He doesn’t fail. He doesn’t shut down. He doesn’t play games while we suffer. He doesn’t forget His people.
So when the government fails, and you know it will, we don’t despair. We don’t lose hope. We don’t put our trust in the next election or the next policy change.
We go back to our dwelling place. We rest in the shadow of our Almighty God. We pour out our hearts. We take action from a place of faith, not fear.
And when we live this way—when our trust is in God, not government, we find a freedom and a peace that no politician can give or take away.
That’s the shelter I’m dwelling in, sis. Not the Republican shelter. Not the Democratic shelter. God’s shelter. The only one that I can always depend on. Great is God’s faithfulness to us!
✨ Journal Prompt:
Where has your identity been more tied to a political party than to Kingdom citizenship? What would it look like for you to live as a Kingdom citizen first this week—caring about justice, taking action, but with your trust anchored in God, not government?
He’s Got This—And So We Keep Going
I’m not going to lie to you, this season has not only been hard for me, but long, too. The unemployment has stretched past a year. I’m concerned about healthcare, and I’m going through a challenging time in my marriage. The watching and waiting while politicians who never missed a paycheck make decisions that affect whether I can afford to survive.
It’s exhausting. It’s scary. And some days, I wonder if I can keep going.
But here’s what I know for sure: God’s got this.
Not because everything is suddenly going to work out the way I want. (That would be nice though 😁). Not because the perfect employment opportunity is guaranteed to appear tomorrow. Not because the current administration decides not to completely dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Not because the government will suddenly start caring about people over politics.
But simply because God is faithful. Because He’s my refuge, because I’m dwelling in His shelter, and I will NEVER have to worry about His shelter—it is built to last. It will withstand all the storms, even when nothing else does. ((Matthew 7:24-27)
I don’t know how my healthcare situation will resolve. I don’t know when employment will come or what it will look like. I don’t know what January 2026 will bring.
But I know who holds me. And that’s enough to keep going.
This isn’t about having all the answers or pretending everything is fine. It’s about choosing to dwell in God’s presence every single day, pouring out my honest heart to Him, and taking the next faithful step even when I can’t see the whole path.
Sis, you’re not walking this alone. There are women everywhere who’ve been unemployed too long, worried about healthcare, watching their savings dwindle, tired of being forgotten by the people in power, who are clinging to the same shelter you are.
We’re dwelling together, pouring out together, trusting together, and taking action together.
Because we’re not Republicans or Democrats trying to survive political chaos. We’re Kingdom citizens resting in the shadow of an Almighty God who has never failed us and never will.
So we keep going, keep dwelling, keep trusting, keep praying, and keep showing up for each other.
Because God’s got this, and He’s got us.
God is so good all the time!!! 🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿
✨ Your Turn:
Choose one verse from this two-part series—Psalm 46:1, Psalm 91:1-2, Psalm 62:8, Psalm 146:3, or James 2:17. Write it out. Memorize it. Let it be your anchor this week when systems fail and fear tries to take over.
If this series ministered to you, please share it. There are women in your life who are tired, scared, and wondering where to stand when there’s no safety net. Let them know about the shelter that never fails.
Life is a faith journey. Walk boldly.
Be brave enough to pursue your dreams. Be faithful enough to trust the process. Be kind enough to help another woman along the way. 💜
