There’s always been a shelter in place

As of this writing, 37 states in the country have active orders for their citizens to Stay at Home. I’m sure that the other 13 can’t be far behind, and so that means that there is a very real possibility that our entire nation will soon find itself under orders to stay at home, or shelter in place.

But what if I told you that there has always been a shelter in place? Look at the words of King David in Psalm 27:5:

“For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.”

While the large majority of Americans are trying to figure out a new normal of being in the home more than being out of the home, I think now would be the perfect time to remind each of us what David knew thousands of years ago: God has a shelter in place that can keep us safe at home.

How do we find that shelter in place while we’re all sheltering in place? By doing the same 3 things that David did when he was under attack.

Focus on what you know more than what you don’t

Just like you and me, David had some questions that he didn’t have answers to. He didn’t know who exactly was going to be attacking him or what could happen when they did, but he didn’t waste time or energy on that. Instead, he focused on what he knew more than what he didn’t. Actually, he focused on WHO he knew. David realized that knowing God now was greater than not knowing what might happen later because God would protect him no matter what (verse 2 makes that clear).

Allow your one thing to determine everything

Focus is powerful, and David knew it. Sometimes, in the middle of a whole lot of distraction and white noise, the best thing we can do to cut through it and find clarity is by recapturing what matters most. David only had one thing on his to-do list: be with God. How will you and I find shelter during the shelter in place? By remembering and focusing on the most important things. Family, friends, faith. None of us are quarantined away from those, and if we really focus on them, we’ll find that this time could be more rewarding than we ever dreamed possible.

Never lose hope

I love the closing words of David in this Psalm. They literally drip with hope and optimism in the middle of the unknown!!

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:13‬

Please don’t miss this. David didn’t write this later as he sipped sweet tea and reflected on all he had learned during a 30-day lockdown! In the middle of the mess, David remained confident and declared, “I will see…!” He wasn’t sure that future generations would see God’s goodness even though he wouldn’t. He was rock-solid, stone-faced immovable on the issue of the goodness of God and he knew that God’s goodness would become more and more evident the longer the questions surrounding him remained.

As Bill Johnson has said, “Anchor your soul in the goodness of God.” That’s some solid advice in a time when it feels like the waves are winning, and it will change your perspective if you’ll place yourself in the shelter that’s always been in place as you shelter in place.

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