DECEMBER 28, 2015
A Place of Shelter
I
long to . . . take refuge in the shelter of your wings. — Psalm 61:4
Read:
Psalm 61
Homeless people in
Vancouver, British Columbia, have a new way to find nighttime accommodations. A
local charity, RainCity Housing, has created specialized benches that convert
into temporary shelters. The back of the bench pulls up to create a roof that can
shield a person from wind and rain. At night, these sleeping spaces are easy to
find because they feature a glow-in-the-dark message that reads: THIS IS A
BEDROOM.
The need for shelter
can be physical, and it can be spiritual as well. God is a refuge for our souls
when we are troubled. King David wrote, “I call as my heart grows faint; lead
me to the rock that is higher than I” (Ps. 61:2). When we’re emotionally
overloaded, we are more vulnerable to the Enemy’s tactics—fear, guilt, and lust
are a few of his favorites. We need a source of stability and safety.
If we take refuge in
God, we can have victory over the Enemy as he tries to influence our hearts and
minds. “You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe,” David said to
the Lord. “I long to . . . take refuge in the shelter of your wings” (vv. 3-4).
When we are
overwhelmed, peace and protection are ours through God’s Son, Jesus Christ. “In
me you may have peace,” Jesus said. “In this world you will have trouble. But
take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Dear God, I am frail
and defenseless, but You are mighty and powerful. Please help me find peace and
rest in You when I am overwhelmed.
God is our refuge.
INSIGHT:
Of Psalm 61, Charles
Spurgeon wrote: “This Psalm is a pearl. It is little, but precious. To many a
mourner it has furnished utterance when the mind could not have devised a
speech for itself. It was evidently composed by David after he had come to the
throne. . . . The second verse leads us to believe that it was written during
the psalmist's enforced exile from the tabernacle, which was the visible abode
of God: if so, the period of [his son] Absalom's rebellion has been most
suitably suggested as the date of its authorship.”
Source: Our Daily Bread 2015