Safe from the Storm
Rowboats should have been the vehicle of choice here in Caracas yesterday. In the middle of the afternoon the skies opened and torrents of rain fell. The official government response was to report that nothing unusual was happening; the pictures posted by people out on the street told a different tale. Government should walk in the shoes of the hoi palloi once in a while.
When the sheets of falling rain eased enough for it to be possible for me to see the street that runs in front of my building, the sight was impressive. A torrent of muddy water was racing down the hill from the mountains behind my apartment complex. It flowed down the street, crossed the intersection at the bottom of the hill and then continued to flow down into a nest of houses cradled in a hollow below the intersection. I hate to think how much water and mud they had to clean up.
I was safe and dry—the advantage of living on the 13th floor. I could watch the rain, even enjoy it, from the safety and security of my apartment. Such is the security of the believer. When the storms of life come—as they surely will—we have a refuge.
Paul reminds us that believers never have to fear that the doors to their shelter will be closed to them in time of need. The Spirit of God living in those who have come to faith, is ever-present evidence that access is never restricted. As sons and daughters of God we can hide in him without hesitation, fearlessly. Romans 8:14, 15 says: "…those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'."
What a wonderful assurance to know that whatever happens in life, I am safe and secure in the arms of my "Abba."
When the sheets of falling rain eased enough for it to be possible for me to see the street that runs in front of my building, the sight was impressive. A torrent of muddy water was racing down the hill from the mountains behind my apartment complex. It flowed down the street, crossed the intersection at the bottom of the hill and then continued to flow down into a nest of houses cradled in a hollow below the intersection. I hate to think how much water and mud they had to clean up.
I was safe and dry—the advantage of living on the 13th floor. I could watch the rain, even enjoy it, from the safety and security of my apartment. Such is the security of the believer. When the storms of life come—as they surely will—we have a refuge.
Paul reminds us that believers never have to fear that the doors to their shelter will be closed to them in time of need. The Spirit of God living in those who have come to faith, is ever-present evidence that access is never restricted. As sons and daughters of God we can hide in him without hesitation, fearlessly. Romans 8:14, 15 says: "…those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'."
What a wonderful assurance to know that whatever happens in life, I am safe and secure in the arms of my "Abba."
Amen - that safety is the only thing that keeps me going sometimes. What a great picture of what can destroy us - and why we have nothing to fear!
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