Rest in God’s Shelter We do not have to feel lonely. Jesus has promised to be with us. There are people, however, who struggle with feelings of loneliness and sorrow. Jesus told His disciples that He would not leave them comfortless. He would send a counselor—someone who would come along beside them and help them bear their sorrows (John 14:16). At the time when Christ said these words, the disciples did not know what they were about to face. Within hours, their Lord would be arrested, tried, and sentenced to death. The impact of these events sent them into hiding. They were sure the Romans would hunt them down and do the same to them. The disciples did what we do sometimes: they forgot Christ’s promises, and the result was fear. They allowed their minds to wander to places of defeat, instead of recalling the words that the Lord had said to them. Fear always sends its victims running for shelter, but none of us who know the Savior have a reason to be comfortless, vulnerable, isolated, or unprotected. God, Himself, stands guard over our lives. Those who know Christ as their Savior have a unique opportunity to rest in the protective cover of God’s wings. Rest does not mean being unconcerned about the problems of the day. The disciples should have been concerned, not fearful, that Jesus was no longer with them. Maybe you are experiencing a form of God’s protection over your life. You want to move forward, but something is preventing you from taking this step. You feel as though your life is going unnoticed and unrewarded. God has not forgotten you. His Spirit lives in you, and He will not abandon the works of His hands. Trust Him to shelter you and to guide you to a broad place of ministry and blessing. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery (Exodus 20:2). ---- Michael A. Youssef
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 10:55:57 +0000