Finding Shelter in the Name of Jesus

God lovingly extends to us an open invitation to bring every care to His attentive ears. There, He can comfort our hearts, relieve our fears, and ease our concerns.

Click here to listen to this devotional written and narrated by Susan Davidson.

While preparing dinner, I was too distracted by the rattling of pots and pans to notice the sound of wind and falling rain. Nonetheless, my West Highland Terrier, Chloe, was aware of the impending storm. Suddenly, her whimpering and scratching on my leg in urgent response to the storm had my full attention. She was begging to be lifted into a safe place within the folds of my lap and comforting arms.

Chloe was always extremely fearful of storms, even as a puppy. She went into a frenzy at the first sound of an impending storm. As Chloe got older, she sought out my walk-in closet as her safe place during storms. A warm bed awaited her in the corner of the closet where the hanging clothes and shelves full of blankets and throws muffled the sound of the wind and the cracks of thunder. There, she was confident she would be safe. It would remain her safe place during adverse weather until she lost most of her hearing, and the sounds from storms no longer made her afraid. 

Chloe isn't the only one partial to the benefits of the closet. Jesus addressed his followers in Matthew 6:6 (KJV) and taught them, “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” His teaching instructed us not to pray just to be seen by others, but to seek the audience of God, both quietly and earnestly, when bringing our needs and requests before His throne.

God lovingly extends to us an open invitation to bring every care to His attentive ears. There, He can comfort our hearts, relieve our fears, and ease our concerns.

I, like Chloe, have learned to seek out a comforting place when I am anxious or fearful, especially during the storms of life. Times when gusts of unknowns or worst-case scenarios rage against my emotions and threaten my peace and serenity. When life's worries come crashing down like blinding rain, it’s reassuring to know I have a place to go where I can always find shelter. 

Proverbs 8:10 also teaches us where to run when the storms of life threaten our peace and safety. “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” (ESV) When we pray and call out the name of the Lord in times of need, He has promised us His protection. Within the folds of grace and the love of our Savior, we will be kept safe from the rages of sin and delivered from every wind of doctrine that threatens to blow us off course from the truth and purpose of the gospel.  God has promised that in this sacred place, where we call out His name, we will find shelter and solace under the feathers of His mighty and powerful wings. 

As I sat quietly on my back porch writing this devotion, dark clouds were moving in, and I could hear the faint sound of thunder in the distance. Their presence reminded me that unexpected problems and circumstances often roll into our lives like menacing and gloomy clouds, threatening our peace. But even though they can make our lives appear dark and scary for a season, we never have to give in to fear and worry. In Jesus, we have a safe place where we can run -- a place where we will be kept secure and comforted in His arms until our storms pass. 

Where do you run to find comfort when life becomes dark and scary, or problems threaten your peace? Have you experienced the comfort and peace that comes from bringing your fears and concerns to God in prayer? I invite you to visit this sacred place where we can call out to Jesus when we face life's storms. You will discover there is no place on earth where you will ever feel more comforted or at peace than at the feet of Jesus. 

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