Shelter-Living

C.A.N.C.E.R.

This six letter word has the power to strike terror into the heart of the most indomitable of spirits.  This fear (real or imagined) stalks us in the middle of the night and sends our neat little worlds into a tailspin.

It seems like everyone around me is getting cancer. My heart is overwhelmed with sadness.  Why Lord?  Why this disease?  Why good people?  Why the people I love? And I feel my heart skip a beat when I wonder . . . who will be next?

Then I read these words . . . Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  He will cover you with His feathers.  He will shelter you with His wings.  His faithful promises are your armor and protection.  Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night nor the arrow that flies in the day.  Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.  Psalm 91.1,4-5

We won’t find rest if we’re living somewhere else.  We won’t find safety or security in anything this world claims.  We won’t know peace if we’re trusting in ourselves, in our circumstances or in our feelings.

We must camp out, set down roots, remain, reside, and persist in the presence of our Savior.  We can’t expect to find rest unless we do.  Our lives will be plagued by fear and worry.  Our situation, whatever it is, will overwhelm us and we will hand over power to our circumstances to dictate, how we feel and the way we live.

So how do we do this?  How do we do this in the midst of life here on earth?  How do we take shelter in a God we can’t see or touch?  How do we find our refuge in Him?

Granted this is where it gets tough.  It’s where the “fan” falls away and only the true follower persists.  This choice of life, this shelter-living doesn’t happen accidentally.  It takes intentionality.  Spending time with our Savior, pouring over His words, quietly sitting in His presence, quieting our hearts long enough to hear His gentle whispers and seeking His way not ours.  Falling on our knees in repentance.  Mourning our sin and refusing to make excuses for it. Surrendering our hearts, our choices, and our will to Him. All of this is so contrary to the world around us. 

But this is how we live in the shelter.  This is where we find rest.  This is where protection is found.  Having our hearts fixed on nothing else but Him.  This is where we will find peace in the storm.

When we live in the shelter of our Abba Father . . . we no longer need to be afraid.  Worry will become a thing of the past.  Trust will be our daily companion. He alone will be our place of refuge and we will KNOW a peace the world will never comprehend.