Deuteronomy 33:12
Concerning the tribe of Benjamin, Moses said:
“He is beloved of God
And lives in safety beside him.
God surrounds him with his loving care,
And preserves him from every harm.”
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
As with certain areas of
Arkansas, the “oil boom” is alive and well in North Dakota, where
countless people are involved in drilling for oil and natural gas.
Because many parts of North Dakota are sparsely populated, makeshift
communities, often referred to as “man camps”, have sprung up in recent
years. Housing consists of pre-fabricated homes similar to military
barracks. People also live in cars, trucks, tents and RVs. So when a
rare, but potentially deadly tornado came barreling down the main
“escape route” in Watford City on Memorial Day 2014, “residents” had
nowhere to go. Many hunkered down in their trailers and “shelters” and
rode out the 120-mile-per-hour winds that accompanied this EF-2
tornado.
Fifteen people were injured, including a 15-year-old
girl who was visiting relatives and suffered critical wounds that
required med-flight to a hospital in Minot. There was so much noise from
the rain and hail that accompanied the storm that many were unable to
heed any warning sirens that sounded. And even at that, there was
pretty much nowhere to go.
In Arkansas, tornadoes occur every
year. Many people place a high premium on living where storm shelters
are readily available. In recent years, communities have banded together
to create facilities, such as reinforced school buildings, that will
house and shelter a large number of people in the event of a potentially
deadly storm. I will tell you that I rest a little easier knowing that
we have a “safe room” in our house where we can retreat from harm when
necessary.
One of the residents of Watford City remarked that
there…”ain’t no place to take cover.” Isn’t that how it is for some of
us in our spiritual life? We live without the benefit of God’s safety
and shelter…not because He doesn’t offer - but because we don’t accept
it. Now surely there are those in North Dakota who feel they have no
choice. They need employment, and the jobs and money are there for
those who can do the work. But they are also accepting the accompanying
risks. Granted, tornadoes are rare in this part of the country…reports
are that there have been just 14 since 1950. But the potential and
susceptibility to such peril does exist…as well as other consequences
that can come from living in temporary group housing or an otherwise
vulnerable structure.
In our spiritual lives, we are offered
God’s shelter and protective arms. We are presented with the
opportunity to rest and relax in the comfort and safety of His loving
care. God is our omnipresent “safe room”. But some of us will choose
to venture out on our own and live in a “spiritual trailer” in the
middle of nowhere. We will risk the potential for peril in exchange for
what we value – what we perceive as important. The din of our
prospects for money, fame, fortune, prestige, personal relationships,
acceptance, and personal success will drown out any warning signals that
might be present. What we fail to recognize in doing this is that God
offers us the possibility for all of these things that we desire – and
more. He knows what we need…what will truly satisfy. His aspirations
for us most likely are not a mirror image of our own…but they are far
better in every regard.
As glad as I am to have a concrete “safe
room” built into my house…as important as it is to me to always live
where such shelter is readily available…it is even more important that I
live in the shadow of God’s “safe room”. I don’t want to be away from
the security and protection of His loving arms for even one minute. I’m
all for being adventurous…but not with my soul and all Eternity…or that
of my family and friends!
So what about you? Do you have a
“safe room” – both physically, and in terms of your soul? When the
storms of life come barreling down and you are directly in their path,
you do have a secure place to take cover…if only you will recognize it?
Is God providing you with around-the-clock safety and care? Is His
“safe room” available to you always – in all ways? Are you fully
resting in the protection He offers? Don’t you think it’s time you
were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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