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Thoughts for a Woman's Heart |
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encouragement in things that matter |
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Hurricane Shelters
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Since my husband grew up in Florida, we usually pay attention to the hurricane warnings that can seasonally barrage the state, even though we are presently safe from hurricanes living in California. Hurricane shelters are scattered throughout the Florida coastal areas and when an evacuation is advised, they provide safety for those without an alternative plan for temporary housing. Thinking about the safety God provides for us when we seek a place of refuge with Him, I began to draw parallels between hurricane shelters and the shelter that God offers. Psalm 46:1 tells us, "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble." Those times of trouble are the storms in our lives that threaten our security, our relationships, or our dreams. Just like an impending hurricane, we see the storm approaching or we may even see it all around us, and we recognize our own helplessness to fight against it. We need a place of safety – a place that will provide security while our storm rages. God provides that refuge. The storm may continue to rage, but we can be safe in the middle of it. Psalm 91 details some of the provisions of God’s shelter: rest, protection, peace, and, the promises of His answers, His presence, His honor, and His satisfaction. Floridians need the assurance that the hurricane shelter they flee to will be adequate for their needs. We need that same assurance with God. Again and again in the Psalms, we see the adequacy of God uplifted. When David said, "The Lord is my shepherd," he also said, "I have everything I need." God’s help has been proven by those who have sought a refuge in Him, and for those of us who presently are faced with life’s storms, His provisions are ready, available, and more than adequate. Floridians have a choice when a hurricane warning alerts them. They can stay and fight out the storm themselves, or they can leave behind those things that really are not of utmost importance, and find a dry bed in a safe place. Believers can do the same. I can rely on my own abilities and fight the storm alone, or I can flee to the safety of my God. I may even have to leave some things behind – my desires, my anger, my manipulative abilities, my demandingness – but God’s shelter is warm with His protective love, and comforting in the promises of His provision. |
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— Bev |
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