Secret Place

You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
Psalm 31:20 (NKJV)

Thought for Today: Tommy had been sick all night.  It was an important time of year in school when he would take his tenth-grade exams.  He really did not want to miss school, yet knew that he was too sick to do well on the exams. His mom and dad went to work that day leaving Tommy to care for himself.  He dozed off for a while and awoke to the sound of glass breaking and footsteps in the house.  When his family had moved into this house, they had shown Tommy a secret room off of his bathroom and told him to hide there should there ever be trouble.  He grabbed his mobile phone and headed for the secret room, locking himself inside. A few minutes later, he heard the footsteps of two men, looking for anything of value and, likely, for anyone home.  Thinking it was a closet, they pulled on the door to the secret room, but it would not open.  They moved on to other parts of the house.

What kind of difficulty are you facing today?  Perhaps the darkness you face is inside of you, depression, anxiety, and self-doubt.  Maybe you are facing circumstances beyond your control, the loss of a job, the loss of a family member, or health issues.  Whether internal or external difficulties, there is no hole too deep for God to reach down into and provide peace, comfort, and shelter.  Our Lord cares so much for each of us, those who have called upon His name to be saved.  He will shelter you when the storms of life come upon you.

Tommy was able to call the police while in the secret room.  The intruders were caught and Tommy was able to come out of the closet safely.  Lucky for him, the secret room spared him from intruders whose only intent was to steal and harm.  The Lord's shelter in His presence is a lot like that secret room.  A safe haven, where all the evil plots of men and the circumstances of life cannot prevail over us.  Will you trust our Lord today to provide shelter in His presence?  Will you surrender all of your burdens to Him and let Him care for you, shelter you and provide for you?

Heavenly Father, this day may You provide shelter under the shadow of Your wings for those who love You.  May we feel the peace that comes from knowing that You, our loving Heavenly Father, cares for us and protects us in all situations.  In the name of Jesus, amen.

God's Goodness

 Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!

Psalm 31:19 (NJKV)

Thought for Today: Randy's car did not start on his way to a job interview.  He really needed this job, since things had gone downhill with his current job after the accident.  Randy's family had been injured in an automobile accident and required a lot of medical care that stretched on for months.  Today was just turning out to be another bad day, part of another bad week and another bad month.

Have you ever been stretched to the brink, in despair because of circumstances in your life?  Perhaps you feel that way now after losing a job, a significant relationship or experiencing the death of a loved one.  You might feel that you are in a deep, dark place from which you can never escape.  The light that you once knew is just not present.  I could tell you countless stories of people in the Bible who have felt just like you do.  But maybe instead we should focus on one thing: God's goodness.  You see,  being His special creation, loved by Him from the beginning of time, you have a place in His divine mercy and love.  Our Lord, only being good, wants to give good things to you.  Maybe right now your life does not look so good. You might wish that there was a magical way to escape to the life you once knew. Regardless of how you feel, that does not change the character of God.  He is good and has your best interest in mind.  Our Lord, who wastes nothing, will use all that you are experiencing for good.  All you have to do is trust.  A simple concept, yet so hard to do.

Randy managed to get his car  jump started and made it to the job interview on time.  He got the new job which eased some of his financial pressures while his family healed.  Perhaps today you need a jump start, so to speak. Turn from despair to trust.  If only we all could learn to trust the Lord as a baby trusts his or her mother.  The Lord indeed is in control.

Heavenly Father, we all walk through difficult times.  Help us to learn to trust You in all things, for You, oh Lord, know what is best for us. You say in Jeremiah that You know the plans that You have for us, plans to prosper and not to perish. Help us to fully trust in your purpose for our lives. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.