Sheltered by God

by Susan Sampson

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?…For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble, he will conceal me under the cover of his tent, he will lift me high upon a rock” (Ps. 27:1, 5).  Why do I think that hiding under the covers of my bed could ever compare to being sheltered by the Most High God under the cover of His tent?  Why do I think that I can protect myself or my own heart?  A blanket is just temporal, it has no power.  I am only human, mere dust.  Only God Almighty can and “will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler” (Ps. 91:3-4).

We are daughters of the King.  Our Father is the King of kings.  He has revealed Himself to us in so many ways.  I love detail.  God is a God of detail.  He wants us to know Him intricately and intimately.  One of the descriptions that stands out most in my mind in reference to the building of the tabernacle was Exodus 26:36, “You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework.”  I’ve tried needlepoint a few times in my life.  Each stitch small and precious and necessary.  Our small group meets in the chapel where each chair has a unique seat cover done in beautiful needlework, intricately detailed.  “But even the hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matt. 10:30).  So beautiful is the detailed care our loving Father provides. As Laurie said, “what a demonstration of the extraordinary, extravagant lovingkindness of our Lord.”  Oh, if we would only believe and trust.  Lord, please give us grace to believe.

Yes, we are in a battle, but our Father is both the King and the Victor!  Enable us, Lord, to remember DAILY, moment by moment these points from our lecture:

• Position – in Christ
• Praising Him
• Praying continually
• Prepared with full armor of God
• Plunging our sword
• Proceeding in peace

Oh my dear sisters, we have to know and acknowledge that apart from Christ we can do nothing.  The battle is raging all around.  The phone call is going to come if it hasn’t already.  I know many of you know what I’m saying having experienced this very thing, maybe throughout your lifetime.

Ladies, please let us all allow the Lord to search our hearts and show us what we are putting our trust in.  He has shown me that my default is to control.  Wanting my way, my will over His will.

Our lecture notes state, “in trial we learn how to handle the Word.”  The example of Christ stares us right between the eyes and convicts us.  If the Son of God needed the Word of God to stand against the enemy why do we think we can stand without the Word?  Why are we running to the temporal counterfeits?  Why are we believing the lies?

The Lord has given us all we need, Himself.  We are the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit of God Most High!  Please let us not leave him standing in the hallway of our hearts!  Let the King of Glory come in and take the seat that belongs to Him, the throne.

Oh Lord, how we need you!

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’  And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new'” (Rev. 21:3-5a).