If I had to choose a metaphor for this era of time in our world, I would use that of a storm. Life can feel like we are constantly being tossed about by all the bad news (and there is much!) on top of all the “regular” struggles of life. Psalm 89:9 tells us that God rules over the seas and calms the waves. But our “boats” in this storm can feel pretty rocky sometimes.
Psalm 91 tells us that if we live our lives, abiding in the shelter of the Most High God, dwelling in the shadow of his loving protection, we will be shielded from harm. He is the secret hiding place for us, the hope that holds us, and the stronghold to shelter us because we can have great confidence in our Rock and our Redeemer. God is our refuge and fortress, our God in whom we trust.
I see Christ-followers as people gathered under the shelter of God’s wings, or hidden in the cleft of the rock like Moses was. Except, somehow, the enemy of our souls is continually picking off a person or two from the edges. That young person who has totally gone astray from their strong Biblical faith of their teen years. That man who has some sort of mid-life crisis, freaks out, and leaves his family behind. That person who dies too young and too tragically. You can almost hear the evil laugh of the enemy as his traps ensnare one more person.
Imagine a huge school of fish or a large group of penguins. The ones on the outside of the group are the most vulnerable to predators or cold winds, as the case may be. Similarly, if we make choices that bring us out from under God’s protection, we are most vulnerable to being taken out by the enemy. And, yes, sometimes there are circumstances that we never chose and never would have chosen and, yet, the enemy still seems to be able to pick us off.
Maybe the best revenge is to pick off people who are “lost” and bring them into the shelter of the Most High God.
We don’t usually see a dead person physically brought back to life. But we can reach out in love to a spiritually dead person and help them see the love of God and invite them to the New Life of Christ.
We can’t always convince a person who has made destructive life choices to repent and repair their life. But we can minister to those around us, befriending the lost, hurting, and lonely, and – hopefully – preventing someone else from making such tragic choices.
We cannot always convince someone who has wandered away – or run away – from Christ that being IN Christ is best for them. But we can invest in children, youth, and adults around us so that their spirits are strong and they stay rooted deeply in the faith.
We must pray for all these situations where people have been picked off by the enemy. But we must remember that we serve a God who is stronger than the enemy of our souls. We must understand that Jesus gave us his authority to trample over the enemy’s kingdom and every demon and power satan possesses. In the name of Jesus we can take authority over the schemes of the devil. We can “pick off” people in the enemy’s camp – or at least those drifting toward it – and help them become firmly rooted in Christ and safely sheltered in the Almighty God.
Who can you “pick off” today?
Sheltering God,
Thank you that you are our refuge and help, our shelter in the storm. Thank you that you call all your children to be under your protective wings and you calm the boats of our lives, even in the midst of disturbing and even awful circumstances. Today we pray for those who have made sinful choices and stepped out from under from your shelter and protection. We pray Holy Spirit will convict them and they will have spiritual ears to hear the wooing voice of their Savior calling them back. Where there are spiritually dead people, we pray for a great resurrection within them. And where your children have intentionally run away from you, we pray you would bring godly men and women into their lives that would impress upon them the importance of returning. Bring your prodigal sons and daughters home into your grace and your family the Church. We pray against any evil spirit that would want to distract or derail your plans for your children. And we pray you would use us to bring more people into the shelter of your loving arms. We pray all this in the strong name of Christ, Amen.
“You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.” (Psalm 89:9 NRSV)
“When you abide under the shadow of Shaddai,
you are hidden in the strength of God Most High.
He’s the hope that holds me and the stronghold to shelter me,
the only God for me, and my great confidence.
When we live our lives within the shadow of God Most High,
our secret hiding place, we will always be shielded from harm.” (Psalm 91:1-2, 9 TPT)
“They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.” (Psalm 78:35 NIV)
“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:2 NIV)
“For we know that every creature groans with us also, and travails in pain, even to this time.” (Romans 8:22 NMB)
“Now you understand that I have imparted to you my authority to trample over his kingdom. You will trample upon every demon before you and overcome every power Satan possesses. Absolutely nothing will harm you as you walk in this authority.” (Luke 10:19 TPT)
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.” (Psalm 91:4 NIV)
“On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:35-41 NRSV)
[Originally posted January 27, 2022]