When do you feel safe?

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty

   I will say of the LORD "He is my refuge and my fortress

   My God in whom I trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).

Think about a place that makes you feel peaceful and safe.

My peaceful safe place is at home. The image that comes to mind is a dark, cold, wet, stormy night. The wind and rain are lashing against the windows and I am inside, in my pyjamas, snuggled in my favourite throw in front of the log burner, enjoying the feeling of safety and security, as I watch the storm unfolding outside.

It is a wonderful, warm sensation knowing you are being sheltered and protected from the storm.

That is what Psalm 91 is all about - Shelter!

The world is a scary place and we are living in difficult times, so isn't this Psalm so relevant for us today?

The Psalmist uses some interesting imagery of danger - hidden traps, deadly pestilence, terrors at night, arrows that fly by day, stones that make us stumble, lions and snakes. (Psalm 91:3-6)

The enemy knows what will most likely hook us, and He knows exactly what thoughts to put in our minds to lure us into the trap. There are enemies that attack our minds (thoughts), attack our bodies (germs) and some that attack us physically (people).

Where do you go when you are hurt, afflicted, stressed or feel lonely, confused or depressed? Do you have a hiding place?

Many times, we choose temporary hiding places, perhaps in our work, in our possessions, in positions we may hold, in our relationships, in our daily routines or through social networks. But, these things are not stable. They might make us feel safe at times, but that false security will only last for a season.

In the midst of difficult times in our lives, God is our safe place. We can be secure in the knowledge that He is always with us, and never will He leave us alone.

Corrie Ten Boom once said:

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."

"He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." (Psalm 91:4)

God's "sheltering wings" indicates protection and familiarity. Think about the nurturing love of a mother hen with her chicks, it paints a vivid picture of the sheltering wing of God's protection, that the Psalmist refers to in this passage.

It is God's faithfulness to His promises that is our shield. When the enemy comes to whisper fearful and condemning thoughts in our minds, we can ward off His attack by saying:

"My faith is strong because I know my God is faithful and His faithfulness is my shield."

We find great men of God such as David, Joshua, Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego declaring their confession of faith out loud in dangerous situations. Notice what happens on the inside when we say out loud:

"LORD you are my refuge, you are my fortress, you are my LORD and my God."

The more we say it out loud, the more confident we become in His protection. When we say it and mean it, we are placing ourselves in His shelter.

When God is our hiding place, we find peace that cannot be disturbed by the circumstances around us. He is our hiding place.

Whilst we continue to see unprecedented horrors revealed across the world and get concerned and worried by all that is changing at a rapid pace, we can remember that our lives are in God's hands and He is able to comfort us in our pain and distress, and to deliver us to eternal life.

When you are out of strength, I want to encourage you to run to Jesus and make Him your refuge. When you don't understand why some things happen, trust that God is in control; and take comfort in that our problems are temporary, but our God is eternal!

This week's challenge:

Whenever you are feeling anxious and fearful,

turn to Psalm 91 and read it slowly, out loud, and take some time to meditate on it.

Click here to listen to a wonderful song called "Shelter me", based on Psalm 91. Just allow those wonderful comforting words to speak to you.

God bless