ODJ: sheltered


March 20, 2013 

READ: Psalm 62 


Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him (v.5).

The red and white “For Sale” sign in our garden boldly proclaims that our lives are in transition. Stepping out by faith, my husband and I are selling our home and leaving his current position of ministry to move to a community about 30 miles away. Confident that God is able, I still find myself trying to get my bearings as we wait on the unknown. I daily live between two places: at peace with where we are and ready to move forward when the Lord directs.


Paul wrote, “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13). Desirable in theory. Romantic in prospect. Raw in reality. Far more than a comforting ideology, living in the shelter of God’s protection is an exercise in surrender.


True stability doesn’t come in amassing belongings, owning a home or working the same job for 40 years. While all of these things may seem to bring added security, in reality, they’re but a fragile thread that we grip. At any moment, everything can change.


And even when anticipated, change isn’t easy. Fortunately God is able to handle our questions when we arrive at unexpected places. But there’s something incredible about sitting in silent wonder before the God of creation as we wait for Him to move on our behalf (Psalm 62:1,5).

I don’t know when our house will sell or where we’ll move. Some days that reality is a little unsettling. But when I go back to God’s Word, I’m reminded that “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken” (v.2). —Regina Franklin

› 1 Samuel 3:1-21

MORE
Read Romans 8:23-28 to see where we can place our confidence in times of waiting before the Lord.
 
NEXT
What areas in your life reflect your attempt to find security in something other than God? How can transitions bring us to a greater depth in our relationship with Jesus?