“I would flee far away and stay in the desert; Selah. I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.” Psalm 55:7-8

I am sitting in my shelter, which is a mobile home in the deserts of southern California, in the middle of a sand storm.  We listened to the wind howl all night and wondered what possessions were flying around outside like missiles in the wild wind.  While we felt quite safe, it was still intimidating, as all storms of life are.  We do not like losing control of our lives or our environments.

In the morning, the sun was shining, but it exposed a thick haze of sand still blowing around, and the beautiful mountains, once visible from our front windows, were obscured from view. Our connection to the outside world, the satellite dish, had blown over in the night, giving us a greater feeling of isolation.  I touched the countertops to begin breakfast preparation.  How could this be?  A thin layer of sand had invaded our home even though the windows and doors were shut tight.  Upon close examination, everything had a thin layer of fine sand on it, and I knew that I had my work cut out for me, cleaning,  deep cleaning after the storm abated.

My mind quickly shifted to my life and thought about the sin in our lives and the way it gets in no matter how tight the barriers we think we have placed against it.  We can do all the “right things“, read the Bible, pray constantly, go to church, tithe, evangelize, do good to all, and still the “fine sand-sin” slips in through the human vulnerability cracks in our armor.  It is our very humanity that required Jesus to die so that we can be reconciled with God.  God could not enter our homes to sit on sofas covered, eat on dishes covered with sand, or walk on floors filled with grit.  I shudder at the feel and thought of it. Jesus is our big vacuum cleaner.  He has taken all our grit away.  He has cleaned house, he has borne our sins so that God can see me as his Princess, his daughter, and visit my clean house and have fellowship with me. Leviticus 26:12

“I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.”

Father God, thank you for Jesus who has cleaned out all the corners of my life so I can be acceptable to your Holiness and you can fellowship with me.  Father, thank you for the Holy Spirit who continues to teach me in my spiritual journey, day by day. Thank you for your promises, and the Bible, where we can read of them, and be reminded of just who you are to us.  We love you Almighty God, and worship you to the end of days. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

by Sue Tholken
used by permission

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The post Place of Shelter can be found at Thoughts about God.

“Come now, let’s  Isaiah 1:18settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet,? I will make them as white as snow…”

The parking area for the condominium in which we live has space for owners’ cars. Some are covered spaces, some open to the elements, some designated for people who have special needs. Close to each building are two spaces with signs carrying this message: “In event of snow, this space is ONLY for snow removal purposes.” When storms arrive in this part of the western United States, huge vehicles are hired to scrape the fast falling snow into these two spaces so other areas are safe for driving or walking.

This is a great plan and one which we residents appreciate. However, even though we have snow here, we also have bright sunshine which rather quickly melts the snow between storms. Soon we see grass on the lawns and increasingly dry sidewalks and roads. But not in those “snow designated” spaces. There the pile of white slowly turns an ugly gray as it diminishes in the warming sun. And in the melting pile can eventually be seen a lost glove, tossed newspaper or other refuse. What looked like a sparkling small white mountain is revealed to be a place unsightly and to be avoided.

Often in our lives it is the warming sun of God’s love that begins to reveal what we have tried to keep hidden. When we learn to bask in His forgiveness and grace on a daily basis, we find it less of a problem to be consistently open with Him, quickly confessing our sin because we know that nothing can separate us from His love.

Father, thank you for the warmth of your love that can melt my stubborn resistance and draw me close to you.

By Marilyn Ehle
used by permission

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Flowers in the Snow

What Do You See?

Flowers in the Snow

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The post What’s Under the Snow? can be found at Thoughts about God.