A Shelter in the Storm

Text: Joel 3.16 Title: Our Refuge in the Storm Topic: Shelter Series: The Book of Joel, Sermon 5 Occasion: Sun AM, Jan 12, 2020, Duncanville FWB Introduction: Let us return to Joel 3 to consider in more detail a verse which we read last week. Reading of the Text: Joel 3.16 Joel describes the Lord as a shelter and stronghold for his people. One translation contained a marginal note which read, "the Lord is a harbor for his people, a safe haven for the people of Israel." What a beautiful thought. Several years ago, I spent a few weeks at Leech Lake in Minnesota with my grandparents. Leech Lake is big lake, it stretches about 25 miles east to west, and about 30 miles north to south. Whitecaps on the waves are not uncommon even on a nice day. One day my Grandpa and I were fishing in the middle of the lake, when a storm blew in. As the winds and waves picked up it got pretty scary pretty quickly. The waves rocked the boat back and forth. Grandpa told me to hold on tight and make sure my life jacket was on tight, but what really scared me was when Grandpa put his life jacket on cinched it up tight as the waves started coming over the sides and into the boat. But what a difference it made when we gained sight of the harbor. The storm was still raging when we reached the harbor, but our fears had ceased because we knew we were in the safe shelter of the harbor. As a safe and secure harbor is to a storm-tossed vessel, so will our God be to those who come to him. He is a refuge and stronghold in the storm. I. God Is Our Safe Harbor This is a message that the people of Joel's day were sorely needed. They were living in tumultuous times. They had faced the swarms of locusts with their devastating effects, and were now facing invasion from a foreign army. Their lives had been upended and they no doubt felt like they were being tossed back and forth and were about to be overcome like a ship battered by the waves. How they needed to know that there was a shelter in that storm! When we are battered by the storms of life, the Lord will be our shelter, our harbor. He alone has the knowledge and wisdom, the power and ability to keep us safe in the storm. No need nor danger catches him by surprise because he sees all. Never is he unable to do what he desires, because he created all things with just a word. The omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence of God are the three mountains which enclose the harbor providing safety and security, and his grace is the breakwater that grants peace to believers. II. The Harbor is a Place of Shelter When we think of a harbor, our initial thought is probably as a place of shelter. A good harbor protects ships anchored there from the waves and the winds of the storm. For the people of Joel's day, they had been battered by wave after wave of locusts, and the whirlwind of invasion was upon them. They need to know that there was a harbor to shelter them from these storms of life. The Lord is still a shelter in the time of storm for his people. When wave after wave of problems sweep over us, the Lord is our refuge. When others threaten us, the Lord is our protector. When we are tossed about by the strong winds of depression, depression, and despair the Lord is our stronghold. When temptations blow, he shelters us and provides a way of escape. In our hour of need, the Lord is our safe harbor. A harbor is not only a place of shelter from the storm, it is also... III. The Harbor is a Place for Repair Ships need maintenance. A ship may need routine maintenance like removing barnacles from the hull or cleaning and re-staining the deck. Sometimes the repairs may be more serious like replacing a worn sail, or fixing a breech in the hull, or repairing a broken mast. Where does a ship go for such repairs - it goes to the harbor. There are many experiences in life which cause us to need a place of repair. Who does not suffer through the fault of others? Many times the damage is unintended. A careless word, a thoughtless deed but it wounds the heart, crushes one's hope, and shakes one's confidence. Often the hurt brought about by another's sin. Our sin does hurt others. For example, a woman who has been betrayed by an unfaithful husband, may find it hard to ever trust anyone. A child whose parent was abusive may come to believe that they are worthless. And sometimes the damage is intentional as people give in to anger, spite, hatred, jealousy, revenge, etc. These hurts caused by others leave our human hearts in need of repair. Often our need of repair is self-inflicted. Through poor choices and a lack of caution or self-control we damage our lives and reputations. We give in to our moral weakness with devastating effect. Through a lack of wisdom or by impulsiveness we bring disaster upon ourselves. Frequently we are in need of repair. Sometimes we need repair due to circumstances of life. We did not expect a sudden storm in the sea of life. We did not expect the illness, or the job loss, or the family turmoil. We have tried to navigate dangerous waters in midst of storm only to discover that we were dashed against the rocks. Maybe its not a storm but just the wear and tear of the daily grind that leaves our souls in need of repair The Lord is our harbor, the place of repair. In him our hurts can be healed, our hearts restored, our lives rebuilt, our relationships repaired. Our Lord is a redeemer. He is in the business of restoration. III. The Harbor is a Place for Refitting Ships also put into harbor to be refitted for their future voyages and continued service. In the harbor the are restocked and refueled so that they continue their journey. God is our harbor, the place for refitting. He not only repairs the damage from our past journeys, but he equips us for the journeys ahead. If the Lord has done anything in us, it is to prepare us to go out again and meet the rising storms of life. We may perhaps be tested and tried again, but we have been equipped to endure the storms before us. We go back into life with all its storms in hope of finding others who are beaten and battered by the storms so that we might lead them safely to the Lord's harbor, so they too may enter His rest. God's strength will always be given to those doing God's work. Conclusion: Let us remember, that the refuge of shelter is a harbor of repair, and that this always means more work for God. God refits us for the journey that we may bring the hope of his shelter to those battered and beaten by the storms of life. 1