Sheltered From the Storm

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Over the past few days we saw another monster storm hit one of our coastlines, this time the Florida panhandle.  It seems that this is just another of a series of storms that seem to be raging not only across our nation, but around the world.  As terrible as are the effects of hurricanes Michael and Florence, let’s not forget the devastation that took place just a few weeks ago in Indonesia that was struck by a 7.5 earthquake followed by a tsunami with a death toll of over 2,000 and still thousands unaccounted for.  That was only a few weeks after a “super typhoon” roared through the Philippines destroying everything in its path.  And, the list can go on.

 

I’m reminded how dangerous a place our world is.  And, it need not be a natural disaster that comes roaring into our lives to turn us upside down. There are so many things that can happen in life, from sickness to death and everything in between that can leave us feeling wrecked.  As we try to put our lives back together, sometimes asking some very hard questions about what has happened to us, we seek a place wherein we might find comfort and shelter for our hearts and our minds; a place wherein we might find peace in the midst of our storm.

Searching for shelter during hurricane Michael

It’s no wonder the Bible so often refers to God as our shelter.  The psalmist wrote, “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5 – NIV)  Isaiah wrote, “You (God) have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.”  (Isaiah 25:4 – NIV)

Oh, at times we may lose homes and property, jobs and health, and even so much more. Yet through all the storms of this life, God has promised to be our shelter. He offers himself to us, inviting us to come under the protection of his hand.  He invites us to experience his comfort and peace in the midst of our storms, that we might not fall into despair—that we might continue to live our lives filled with faith, hope, and love.  

I leave you with these words:

So let the storms rage high
The dark clouds rise
They don't worry me
For I'm sheltered, safe, within the arms of God
He walks with me
And no divert shall harm me
For I'm sheltered in the arms of God.

(“Sheltered in the Arms of God” by Jimmie Davis, Reba Rambo)           

Let’s allow God to be our shelter in the midst of our storms.   

Have a great day. And, let’s pray and do what we can for those who have experienced such loss, both here in the U.S. and abroad. 

Pastor Tim Harris