Psalm 84:1-2: “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.”
Psalm 91:1-2. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Where would be your place of sanctuary? Think of the most peaceful retreat, shelter, hideaway, oasis, refuge, and safe place you can go. What picture comes to your mind? Is it laying on the sand at the beach? Or sitting in your favorite chair reading a great book? Maybe rocking in a hammock, or sitting on your patio with a cup of tea or coffee? Or taking a leisurely hot bath with a candle burning?
Mine is taking a walk or being in my office. I enjoy getting to take a stroll or hike and look at the beauty of the clouds in the sky and think to myself that God is up there above those puffy clouds and is looking down right at me. Right now the red fuzzy Bottle Bush trees are in full bloom along our paseo paved walking paths in our city, which are an amazing display of God’s creation.
My office is the room where God and I have serious conversations together. I still keep a sign on my red leather office chair that says: Reserved. God’s chair. This is the room in our house, where I go to be alone or just want some privacy in order to talk things out with God.
In Psalm 84: 1-2 the writer longed to get away from the chaos of the world to meet God inside God’s dwelling place, his holy temple. We can now meet God anywhere and at any time. But there is something special about receiving the joy of worship and fellowship within the church’s building (another description of a sanctuary), in getting to partake in the music, prayers, sermons, and fellowship.
When feeling intensely intimidated or threatened in those “sticky” times, be reminded of Psalm 91:1-2. God is a shelter and our refuge. Recognize the fact that Satan knows how to work at putting in place division and strife with the people that are the most important to us. Trade all of your fears for faith in being in the presence of our Almighty God, who is the ultimate confidant.
So have you felt you have done something stupid and wished you could undo it? I have. Or maybe you just wish you could undo a situation and start over again and do it differently instead? We all do stupid stuff. No one is perfect. It says in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Satan’s arrows aimed at the target on our back, are feelings of guilt, shame, frustration, and failure. Yes, he uses all of them to make me want to give up and just hide and not talk to anyone for a while. How about you? Do you realize you have just fallen into his trap of defeat and discouragement while living through those circumstances? Stop. Pray through it. It takes some time. Then rest in God’s shelter. Relax in His peace. Rejoice in the fact that nothing can overpower God. He can provide and do so abundantly all that we could ever ask.
Need a few minutes of tranquility and peace? Read the Psalms. Isaiah is another favorite Old Testament book of mine that gives me reassurance of God’s power and protection.
Has your exasperation button been pushed recently?
What about your most recent trouble? Was your pride effected?
Give God the opportunity to demonstrate His power in your life for such a time as this.
What verse brings back God’s peace and eternal perspective to your heart and mind?
Remember, feeling less than, is Satan’s lie. Take hold of who God has called you to be and look for someone who needs encouraging words just from you today.
My prayer: Oh God, how I hate making mistakes. I beat myself up so often with my feelings of being a failure, and then guilt, shame, and frustration take hold. You are my resting place and a shelter for every storm. I, like Asaph, in Psalm 73, get a fresh and eternal perspective on life from spending time alone with You, and Your word. Then I get it. Great is your faithfulness!
Listen to Graham Kendrick’s, “To You Oh Lord I Lift Up My Soul.”