I'm already laughing at myself because; for some odd reason, I can only put my complete thoughts together in a way that I like at strange times when everyone else is sleeping. Its funny to me...in a real annoying way.
But I've got something on my heart...something that's been real heavy on my heart for the past week or less. And to be honest, I don't even know how to begin to write it out for you to understand how much its been weighing on my heart. I will try...
I love the moments when God speaks to me. It doesn't happen all the time. In fact, there are many seasons when I feel quite alone. Like, 'where have you gone?'
But I KNOW HE IS HERE. He is always with me...its life that tells me otherwise. I'm sure you've felt the same way. It doesn't take a tragedy to happen in your life to feel like God has left you. Just life.
I'm getting to my point...just felt like meddling there for a moment.
I've been reading in the book of Psalms lately as much as I possibly can. I often will drift away from the usual psalms because the Bible has so much more to read. This time - i'm sure that God was leading me there for a reason. You will find when you read in Psalms a number of occasions when David (or whoever may be the author in that psalm) will remind himself of God has his Shelter, Refuge, fortress.
Funny thing is...people don't usually use these words anymore. You don't find someone saying 'Hey, soooo what does your shelter look like?' Or 'Let's go build a fortress so no one will break into your house.' I mean, i'm sure we all said stuff like that when we were kids creating make-shift fortresses or castles with our brother or sisters. I definitely did. It was the world of make believe...and I was safe there.
All these scriptures using these words just kept coming up over and over and over. Then I looked up the word shelter. Not because I didn't know what it meant, but because I know how we can all misuse words that were never intended for the meanings we have created for them over time. Here it is:
Shelter -
1. something beneath, behind, or within which a person, animal, or thing is protected from storms, missiles, adverse conditions, etc.; refuge.
2. the protection or refuge afforded by such a thing: He took shelter in a nearby barn.
3. protection from blame, incrimination, etc.
4. a dwelling place or home considered as a refuge from the elements: Everyone's basic needs are food, clothing, and shelter.
5. a building serving as a temporary refuge or residence for homeless persons, abandoned animals, etc.
As you can see...#3 is my favorite. And then it hit me. You know the moments when you've read something a bajillion times and; yes its good, but you didn't GET it yet.
In many of the psalms, David was running from his adversaries. His enemy. Time after time, he was wrongly accused and thrown into isolation from safety for long periods of time. BUT...He got to know God as his shelter, refuge, and fortress.
I have never had an army chasing after me or kings of kingdoms angry with me. David felt very alone many a day because of this. But he found safety in God. A God who was faithful in always protecting David. You see, God truly is our Shelter. He is is our protection from the blame or incrimination that the enemy brings our way. The lies the enemy whispers and tries to get you to hear all the time...God is our shelter from even this. He's our refuge in the midst of the battle of all battles in your life.
In the moment of your utmost weakness - the point of almost giving up - God is our SAFE PLACE (refuge, shelter, fortress).
Only...this isn't make-believe anymore. This is for real. Life is REAL. It really throws ugly, unfair things our way. But God is JUST as real. And when we learn to run to Him as our shelter...our safe place instead of anything or anyone else - that is when we find REAL peace and solace. The kind that can not be explained.
The more I meditate on the beautiful truth that God is my refuge from the storms of life...the more I realize - I want to create that safe place for someone else. I know I can't fix everyone's problems. I can't change the fact that your parent's are getting a divorce or that your husband/wife just left you, but I can build a house (a refuge) that invites peace. The kind of peace that doesnt' make sense to anyone else.
That's what we are as followers of Christ. We're meant to be a people that are so full of the peace of God (even in the storms of life) that we can offer that same peace to those who are struggling to understand their own lack of it.
There was a family I knew back home in Texas who were this very thing for me. Their house wasn't extravogent in any way. But from the moment you walked into the house, you felt peace. You felt safe, at home. It wasn't my home but it sure felt good to be there. I went through heaps as a teenager and I remember specifically many other young people who would always hang out there for that very reason.
And we are meant to do this without judgement to those who aren't able to experience that peace yet. We lead people with love to the truth ...remember that.
That is exactly how God drew us to himself....with love to truth. It was then that I found a safe place of my very own.
you are loved...
