A Shelter in the Time of Storm

A Shelter in the Time of Storm

( photo by Rondogs via Flickr) 

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: 

in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me;

 he shall set me up upon a rock. Psalm 27:5

The word 'pavilion' is also translated as 'shelter', hiding place; a temporary lodging. God is our Shelter in troubled times. A hiding place is where we run to. But first we have to find it. When evil seeks our demise, our souls flee to our God. But where is our God? Where is our refuge in troubled times? If we cannot see God's hand of provision and protection, where are we looking? 

To what is our eye drawn? The vast expanse of our known universe is unstable. Whether we look to the stars to inform us of our tomorrows or fly to the stars in hopes of a better tomorrow, we are looking in the wrong direction and with the wrong eyes.

To find God we must first open our Holy Bible and read what God has to say to us.We cannot open our Bibles and expect answers to just pop out at us, either. When you open a box of cereal, do the corn flakes just pop out of the box and into your bowl? Probably not. (there's a visual for you) We need to study, dig into, God's Written Word. Think of it as our spiritual breakfast: seek Him first thing in the morning, before we are fully awake and leave our beds. Just as skipping meals can make one physically weak or inadequate to perform daily tasks, skipping God can make one spiritually weak.

His Word says "...seek and you will find/ask and you will receive/knock and the door is opened...". To see God clearly, we must seek God fervently. And immediately; before trouble comes not only knocking at our doors, but laying waste to what our hearts hold dear.

........tbc..........

Colors of Autumn

Rhinelander, Wisconsin in the fall. This shot achieved from inside a moving vehicle. I like it because it looks as if the foliage was done in watercolors.

As you can see from the date on the photo, it's been a couple years since I've been there, but I'm bettin' their colors are as gorgeous as ever. This is my favorite season. I love the colors of  autumn. Not just simple statements of color, but shades and hues from within our color wheel line the highways and back roads of Wisconsin. The farther north you travel, the earlier and faster the seasons change.

Golds, greens, reds and oranges highlight the face of every tree. No accidents in nature here; just a reflection of our creative God brush-stroking His way across the country. God loves color. In His heaven, in His world, in His people colors are evident.

Bold strokes of color are splashed across each sunrise and sunset. And each one is different. Now, think of how many times the sun has risen and set in just your lifetime. We only have a few flowers so far in our garden, but I love to see how other people have set up their own little worlds of color, too. I love the colors of spring, summer and fall. I love the purity of new fallen snow in winter, even as it highlights ice crystals on glass.

Many of us embrace beauty and color in our world, but we seldom embrace each other with such delight and joy. We enjoy changes in nature more easier than we do changes in other people or ourselves. We are more than intolerant of other nations and cultures, we are afraid and hateful. It is our nature to be paranoid and distrustful because we are adults who have made it this far in life despite our adversities. But I leave out one important thing: I can overcome adversity in life because I have a committed relationship with Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who died on the cross with the weight of my sins upon His shoulders. Hate and paranoia nailed Him there, but Love held Him there. For me and for you. I have a continual relationship with Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, Who rose from the grave after defeating Satan, after taking the keys to both death and the grave. I can embrace my days and nights without fear, without paranoid thoughts, because I have a future that is both here and now and later with the King of kings and Lord of lords.

It is through the eyes of love that we embrace people who are different. It is wise to be wary and cautious, but not at the risk of losing the opportunity to show you my Jesus and how He lives and moves in me and through me.