Shelter in Him

Pause:

Before you start reading this devotional, take a moment to stop what you’re doing, slow down and focus on Jesus.

Pray and ask him to open your eyes to see as you read the Scriptures, and to open your ears to hear as you wait on the leading of the Spirit.

Read:

Psalm 55

4 My heart shudders within me; terrors of death sweep over me.
5 Fear and trembling grip me; horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “If only I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest.
7 How far away I would flee; I would stay in the wilderness. Selah
8 I would hurry to my shelter from the raging wind and the storm.”
V16-18
16 But I call to God, and the Lord will save me.
17 I complain and groan morning, noon, and night, and he hears my voice.
18 Though many are against me, he will redeem me from my battle unharmed.
V22
22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

Going Deeper:

I was out running the other day, I only went a couple of miles and my route was a regular one. Regardless of this, it ended up being a MUCH harder run than I had anticipated. There was one big factor that caught me off guard. Wind.

I started off with a spring in my step, noticing a slight tail wind. This felt good! As I approached my first turn I felt the wind's force a little stronger, but still happily took advantage of the slight push it gave me in the right direction, now headed delightfully downhill. Then things changed. I reached my desired mile point and turned to retrace my steps heading back uphill. As I did, I came directly in opposition to the wind.

Wham. My pace slowed significantly and my previously light feet became like 50 pound blocks. As I ran (more like shuffled) uphill, unable to now even hear the words of the podcast in my ears over the wind, I recalled the verse I had read and prayed through that morning during the 7am prayer zoom room. ‘I would hurry to my shelter from the raging wind and the storm’ - Psalm 55:8

Let's agree that verse 4 and 5 are pretty intense. I definitely was not feeling THAT overwhelmed during my run and I can thankfully say that even in this current season of life, my experience does not come close with these words of such desperation from David. But perhaps you DO feel this intensely overwhelmed. Perhaps you're a frontline worker and you are faced with the horrors of our current climate. Maybe life at home with the family 24/7 is also horrifying! (I joke). But what I'm really getting at is that we are all experiencing moments/days/weeks of feeling overwhelmed.

In those times, where do you turn to? When you are afraid? When you are so overwhelmed you just want to run away from it all?

I made it to the top of the hill and was able to turn the corner to head back to my car. Just like that, I felt such relief, now being in the shelter of the houses blocking the strong winds. I felt light again, I could hear again clearly (missed most of the podcast) and finished my run as happily as I had started. As I physically felt the relief from the wind, I thought about the verse again. I imagined that running uphill into the wind was like a picture of me being overwhelmed, burdened by fear and worry and then as I chose to put my trust in Jesus (day after day) I found true rest in this shelter.

It's not always easy, it doesn't always come naturally. Putting our trust in, and entering into His shelter, it requires making a choice. The invitation is always open. In v16 David declares the faithfulness of the Lord in saving us when we call. He goes on in v22 encouraging us to give Jesus our burdens, assuring us of his promises to never leave and forsake us. We can stand firm on Jesus as our sure and solid foundation. We can always, in every and any season, find shelter and rest in Christ alone, not because of anything we have done but because of His finished work on the cross.

Most, if not all, of us are in the order of ‘Shelter In Place’ or ‘Safe at Home’ - however worded. I hope and pray that as life threatens to overwhelm you that you would ultimately, day after day, find Shelter In Him.

Pray:

Respond to God in prayer by speaking to Him about what stood out to you from this passage this morning.

Listen:

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you this morning?

Apply:

What are you going to do in response to what God is saying to you from the text and by the Spirit?