Seeking Shelter

Intro.

*TAKING SHELTER IN A TORNADO*

As we get going this morning , take a moment to look around you. Where are you?

At Camp

In a building

Where did you wake up this morning?

In a cabin

The buildings here at camp like your cabins, the mess hall, the classrooms are all a kind of shelter.

What is a shelter?

Shelter is where you find protection from danger or bad weather.

I want to start us off this way, because today we are hearing from the Bible how God is our shelter — He is where we find our ultimate safety.

God our Refuge

Psalm 46:1–3 “1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains shake into the heart of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its lofty pride. Selah.”

Do you remember what we said last night about God?

He is with us all of life’s storms, through all the ups and down. God is always present.

Today, we are going to talk a little more about that. Specifically, as we said just a minute ago, that God is the place where we can find safety, peace, and shelter from the storms of life.

Not a Lack of Danger

Let’s look a little more closely at our passage for the day, particularly v. 2.

Psalm 46:2 “2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains shake into the heart of the sea;”

*EARTHQUAKE STORY*

That was a pretty scary experience, and there were a lot of people that felt really nervous about it for a long time. Sometimes, after all the big storms we’ve had lately, the weather makes me a little bit nervous.

What I don’t worry about, though, is where or not I’ll be okay — because I have Jesus in my life and I know I will be just fine no matter what happens!

In life, it is the same way. Sometimes, life feels really shaky and unsure, and like everything could crumble around us at any minute — yet David writes here that because God is our shelter, “We will not be afraid”!

There’s one thing we really need to be clear of, though:

In a big storm, even if you go down into your basement or your tornado shelter, what is still happening outside?

A tornado!

Having shelter does not make the storms go away; having a place that is safe does not mean that everything is going to be easy, and that there is no danger.

When life is hard, it’s okay to admit that it really is hard! There is no shame in recognizing that sometimes life is just difficult. But, when those times come we need to remember that we have a strong shelter that we can run to, which is our God in heaven!

Imagine a group of knights in a medieval castle, huddled inside the strong tower during a siege. When the arrows rain down, they know they are safe because they are in a secure place. God is like that strong tower today. Instead of despair, we can face life's challenges with a sense of calm, knowing we have divine protection. It’s like having an eternal castle to retreat to when life feels overwhelming!

Especially if we have Jesus, we can, we can know that He is a safe place for us to run to and stay!

John 16:33 “33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.””

Conclusion

Today, thank God that He is your protector! Thank Him for being a place where you can go to be safe and at peace even when life around us is chaotic and stressful!

Remember, having a safe place doesn’t mean the storm doesn’t exist, and having a tower to hide in doesn’t mean the siege isn’t real — but it does mean that we don’t have to worry about getting taken away by it. God watches after His children, as we saw last night, and when He is our protector we have no need to worry about whatever may happen!