My Shelter
Scripture Reading: Psalm 57
In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.
We don’t have a storm shelter in our home, although it wouldn’t be a bad idea. Our next-door neighbor does and she has given us an open invitation to join her in hers if it ever becomes necessary. If she ever moves away, we may have to invest in one.
When we lived in Norman, Oklahoma we had one in our backyard at one home we lived in. It was used one time. A large funnel cloud was hanging over us, the tornado sirens were going off, and the sky was eerily dark and threatening and for the first and only time, I believed it was important that the whole family, including our dog, get into the storm shelter. About the time everyone was in and I pulled the door down over us hail started pouring down on us.
Fortunately, we escaped the tornado which did do massive damage to Moore, the city just north of us. We didn’t stay in the storm shelter long, but we stayed until the storm of destruction passed by.
David wrote this Psalm about his experience of hiding in a cave when he was fleeing from Saul. So, there is a physical/bodily reality that is reflected in what he writes, similar to my family’s experience of being in a storm shelter when a storm passed over. But the first line of the Psalm shows us that David was also talking about spiritual sheltering.
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge…
David’s soul was taking refuge in God. This is spiritual sheltering. It is a sheltering of faith. David was resting in and trusting in God for protection and safety. One (the spiritual) doesn’t preclude the other (physical). In other words, David was trusting in God, but he still hid in a cave. He could do the one (hid in a cave) while not doing the other (trust in God), but David did both, and the one (trusting in God) is what made the other (hiding in the cave) efficacious.
Taking refuge in Christ, resting in the shadow of His wings, is what gives us inner calm and confidence. He is the source of peace. So, yes do the things necessary, the things common sense dictates, to protect your family, your life, and your possessions. Lock your doors. Put your seat belt on. Get into your storm shelter when a tornado is bearing down on you. But you need more. Christ needs to be your refuge. You need to rest under the shadow of His wings.