Shelter from the storm

For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.
I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings
(Psalm 61:3-4)

The weather in July this year has been much more like autumn than summer. We shouldn’t complain as we haven’t had to deal with the extreme heat and fires that other places in the world have experienced. But we have had more than our share of rain over recent weeks.
 
We have probably all got caught in a deluge at one time or another. When the rain starts to fall, we look for shelter and run for cover. There is something deeply satisfying about watching the storm rage outside when you are safely under the protection of a shelter (unless you know you need to go back out into the rain at some point, of course!)
 
God is frequently described in the Bible as a refuge and a shelter. In the space of two verses in Psalm 61, David uses a number of images to confess this about God. He is David’s refuge, a strong tower, a tent and a refuge, one who provides shelter. There is something fundamental about God’s character and actions that provide shelter for his people.
 
God doesn’t provide us shelter from the rain, but what does he shelter us from? David calls God a strong tower, who protects us from our enemies. The image is that of a castle with thick walls surrounding the people against the attacks of the enemy. Despite the spears and arrows of the foes, those in the tower are kept safe and secure.
 
David knew what it was like to be attacked by swords and spears, but I suspect we don’t have an army surrounding our homes. We do, however, have an even more dangerous enemy. Our foe is sin and death, the consequence of our wrongdoing and the reality of the last enemy which is death (1 Corinthians 15:26).
 
In the face of that enemy, God invites us to find shelter in him. He is our refuge and help, our strong tower against the foe. God offers us cover from the assault of the enemy, and that cover is God himself. “I take refuge,” says David, “in the shelter of your wings.”
 
God doesn’t just offer us shelter, he gives us shelter in him. He takes the force of sin and death on himself in Jesus, so we can know refuge. We can stand safely under his shelter knowing that he covers us. What a glorious and wonderful truth to remember next time we are caught in the rain!
 
Photo by J W on Unsplash