Shelter in Place, Shelter in God

Well, as we heard a little bit in the sermonette, summer is a time for storms, and sometimes violent storms. Two weeks ago, Hurricane Beryl caused considerable damage down in Houston. Remember last year we had those storms come through and we were without electricity for a number of weeks ourselves here in this area. We had several tornado warnings in our local area, as well as Louisiana, and that was two weeks ago. I was home and about had a heart attack when suddenly the phone starts blaring and I had the weather radio on or something at the same time, that blaring National Weather Service alarm starts beep, meep, meep. And as a warning, there's a tornado headed for Hawkins where I live, but it kind of fittered out by the time it got to us and we were okay. But that one phrase over and over on that phone from the National Weather Service, it was saying, seek shelter immediately. And then I guess as the tornado is getting closer, it's shifted to shelter in place. You've heard that, right? You've heard these things. I'm in my house. It's an older house where I come from. We have caves, storm cellars, and basements. Texas, you can't dig very deep without hitting some kind of water spring or limestone or something. And so I'm standing there and I'm thinking, well, I think the safest place is our closet, but we have so much stuff in there.

And I thought, well then I could just sit in the bottom of the closet and I thought, no, if the the roof falls in, I'll probably suffocate from the clothes. And I thought, well, shelter in place.

God, I'm going to trust you. I'm going to shelter with your care upon me because, I mean, if the big trees around our house hit the roof, well, what do you do? Sometimes we do the best we can. Sometimes we do the best we can. But that phrase stuck in my mind. And so today I want to talk a little bit about the shelter.

The shelter. God is the shelter for those who worship and serve Him. He's the shelter for those who worship and serve Him. And so my purpose today is to remind us and to encourage us to shelter ourselves in our great and loving God. And I've entitled the message today, shelter in place, shelter in God. Shelter in place, shelter in God. The scripture provides us many images and some can be grouped together in certain categories or types.

There are many images for God as being our shelter. Now, of course, it doesn't always use the word shelter. There are synonyms the scripture uses for that. God's faithful ones can find shelter, protection, and God. That is a fact and that is an important principle found throughout scripture. And several of the images or word pictures that we find regarding this idea are meant to inspire our understanding. It's meant to inspire us, remind us of God's love, His mercy, and His faithfulness.

Now, these images originally were taken from the everyday lives and experiences of the ancient peoples of the biblical area of the ancient Middle East. Four images especially signify how God shelters His people. And I'm just going to give those, share those images with you, these word pictures if you'd rather call them. The first one is a shadow. A shadow. Now, a shadow, you ever seen your own shadow? A shadow is the darkness or diminished light caused by an object blocking the rays of light.

Although in scripture a shadow can represent the futile and temporary nature of things, a shadow can also symbolize God's protection, such as from, you can imagine, everyday occurrence in that part of the world, a shadow is protection from the intense heat of the sun, from the intense heat of the sun. Being in God's shadow then means being sheltered under God's care.

A second image is wings. Wings. W-I-N-G-S. Wings are used to depict God's sheltering presence as well. This image comes from how a bird protects its young by covering them under its wings. If you have chickens and chicks, you know. And I know one of our members from Texarkana can tell you all about it. And if you want to have a fierce animal attack you, I don't recommend it, but try to get between a banny hen and her chicks.

She is a ferocious creature. But wings are also used then to suggest the sheltering presence of God. Christ used this imagery itself to describe His or God's compassion for the rebellious Jerusalem for His people. And I'll read it to you. It's in Matthew 23, 37. Jesus said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her.

How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you were not willing. This is just a lesson there that maybe we'll get to as well about protection from God. A third image is, here we have a number of words that are applied.

A third is stronghold or refuge, shelter, or rock. These are words used in the New King James version of the Bible. Stronghold, refuge, shelter, rock. This image pertains to rocky heights, like a cliff or other inaccessible outcropping. Words like, I just listed, stronghold, shelter, rock, refuge. It carries the meaning of God being a sure and resolute protection in times of need. It conveys this idea of God being unshakable. If you've ever been in an earthquake, that's where you want to go.

Someplace unshakable, but you're not going to find it if it's a really big earthquake. Paul explained the idea of rock. Paul explained how the children of Israel, when they were in the wilderness, followed Christ. And he said, 1 Corinthians 10.4, he said, the children of Israel wilderness, how they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. Christ, in other words, was their resolute shelter and defender.

A fourth image is, our final one here, is that of a shield. A shield signifies that God is strong, a mighty, a powerful defense, and God is such a defense to those who shelter and trust to him. Now let's turn back to the book of Psalms. We're just going to look at a few verses here that illustrate how these very same images are used, and at least in the book of Psalms. So let's turn to Psalm 61, please. Psalm 61, verse 1 through 4.

And this is a Psalm of David. It's amazing if you study just how many of the Psalms of David, David uses references about God being a shelter, God being a defender. And if you ever wonder why, it's in the book. Read the experiences David went through, and you will quickly understand why that certainly was a very common, if not popular, theme for David. Psalm 61, verse 1 through 4. It reads, Hear my cry, O God, attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to you, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in your tabernacle forever. I will trust in the shelter of your wings. So we see a lot of those same images used there. Let's look at Psalm 62, 5 through 8. Psalm 62, 5 through 8. Again, this is a Psalm of David. Psalm 62, verse 5, he says, My soul waits silently for God alone. For my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory, the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Very powerful, emotional images. Let's look at finally one last set, Psalm 91, verse 1 through 4.

I hope these reading these are someone inspiring for you. I read these and I get I get that confidence. I get the confidence and encouragement I sometimes lack, and maybe you do too. Psalm 91, run through 4. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I will trust. Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with his feathers and under his wings you shall take refuge. His truth shall be your shield and buckler. And of course, there are many other places we could turn to for examples. Psalm 18 has many powerful examples of God being a shelter in advance, and there David expresses his exuberant praise for God, who is our rock, he says, and our high tower of strength and time of need. And he uses there some images reminding us that God is our mighty creator, who had even upturned the very earth in order to defend and deliver his beloved ones. Those beloved ones include you and me. In Psalm 23, we're familiar with that as well, it intentionally reminds us that the Lord is our great shepherd. He leads us in the paths of righteousness. He is with us though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. His staff and his rod comfort us. And these images, by the way, these images were inspired by God himself. God himself inspired these images. He chose these images to be passed along for centuries and for more centuries to come, to remind us of who and what he is. He is our defender. And so these images inspired by God convey that those who humbly obey and seek God can and should have complete confidence and trust in the shelter and protection and help of our living God. And when fears about life's troubles and trials overwhelm us, whether they're due to our enemies or illness or the uncertain times, such as we've been watching this past week or so, or anything, God is the shelter we can and must turn to, and we can do so with great confidence and trust.

Now all these images from Psalms that depict God as our protector, our shelter, our defense, well, they could lead us to think that God only guards us from external dangers, from enemies and dangers outside of us, we might say. But that would be a wrong conclusion to make. Let's turn to Psalm 17. Psalm 17. We're going to consider for a little bit something David says here. It's a good reminder for us. David did express here in Psalm 17 his need for God's protection, his need for God's shelter. In Psalm 17, David prayerily requests God's protection from his enemies who destroy him. And just to give us a heads up as to what we're going to read here, David asked for God's strength and protection for two reasons. Now, the most obvious reason, as we'll see, is for protection from the wicked men who do not fear God.

A second reason, and we should argue the more important reason for seeking God's help, is not as obvious to see, but it's there when you have eyes to see. David, like us, knew that he could neither defend himself against sin and wickedness without the sheltering help and protection of God. And so, Psalm 17, verses 1-5, it begins with David's request, the humble request for God to hear his prayer. For he knows, David is convinced, he knows and he believes in faith, he is God's repentant. He is God's repentant and faithful follower. Verse 1, David says, and it's a prayer, it says of David, Here he just calls, O Lord, attend to my cry, give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips. He's speaking openly and truthfully to God. First, too, let my vindication come from your presence. Let your eyes look on the things that are upright. David is suggesting that's what he's he's being. He's being blameless. He's taken his sin to God. He's done all that was required of him in order to be forgiven. Verse 3, you have tested my heart, you've proven me, you have visited me in the night, you have tried me and have found nothing. Most Bible translations put in the word, the implied word that is missing there. You have tried me and have found nothing evil, nothing evil. I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. And concerning the works of men, by the word of your lips I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. Some translations will say from the murderer, from the violent. Obviously someone that is not walking in the path of God. In verse 5, and then he makes a statement. He also makes a statement in his prayer. He says, uphold my steps in your paths that my footsteps may not slip. David is, again, God's submissive subject. He humbly pleads for God's protection just as any of us would do, you or I, any of us would do. He knows that he needs God's protection from all enemies. Now he elaborates further down in verses 6 through 14. Verse 6, he says, I have called upon you for you will hear me. Notice that conviction of faith. You will hear me, O God, incline your ear to me and hear my speech. Show your marvelous loving kindness by your right hand, O you who save those who trust in you from those who rise up against them. Verse 8, keep me as the apple of your eye. Well, apple, a better translation, would be the pupil, like the pupil, that little hole in your eye through which all the light comes in. In fact, the New English translation reads, protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye. Think about that. Have you ever protected your eyes? Have you ever had something come at you? You don't even see it coming. All of a sudden, it's there, and what do we do? We duck, we put our hands up. That's what David is saying. Protect me like we would protect our eyes. We're very careful to protect our eyes. Very diligent. Continuing on there, still in verse 8, he says, hide me under the shadow of your wings, for the wicked who oppress me from my deadly enemies who surround me. And here David begins to narrow down who he's talking about. He's talking about his enemies, the wicked. Continuing on, verse 10 through 12, he describes him like fierce beast ready to pounce. Have you ever been in trouble with somebody? Has anyone ever been out to get you? They may feel just like this. Verse 10, they have closed up their fat hearts.

Fat hearts, they're full of fat. They no longer have feeling. They're no longer caring. They're so filled with their own desires. They don't care about anybody else. They have closed up their fat hearts with their mouths. They speak proudly. They have now surrounded us. And here he shifts to plural. Perhaps he's suggesting there are others with him, like him, who are faithful to God. They have now surrounded us in our steps. They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth, as a lion is eager to tear his prey like a young lion, lurking in secret places. And David knows that only God can deliver him. Just as we only know there are times in our lives that it's only God who can deliver us out of this fix we're in. Verse 13, David says, in this case, he says, Arise, O Lord, confront him, cast him down, deliver my life from the wicked with your sword. With your hand from men, O Lord, from the men of the world, the men of the world, who have their portion in this life, and whose belly you fill with your hidden treasure, they are satisfied with children and leave the rest of their possession for their babes. It's a little interesting comment. Why is that such a bad thing?

It's carrying this idea that they're taking in the riches, the wealth of God's creation, but they do so without any fear, without any thought about worshiping God or thanking their Creator who has made these riches available. And as far as this concept, they are satisfied with their children and leave the rest of their possession for the babes, we might think, well, what's wrong with leaving an inheritance to your children? In this culture and time, for wealthy and powerful people would show their wealth and power by having many wives and many children. It was a status sort of thing. It was status. It was power. And they would pride themselves knowing that I'm leaving all of this to my children and my name will live on after me when I'm gone. We have people with the same idea today, maybe doing a work of art, maybe a song, maybe making a giant monument that'll be watched and looked at for centuries.

But then David concludes this psalm, this cry, this prayer for God's protection. Look how he ends this. Verse 15, another statement of confidence. As for me, David says, as for me, I will see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness. In your likeness, David says.

And so we see in this psalm that David desired. He sought God's sheltering protection in a very real way against the wicked, against the wicked men of this world. The wicked do not fear God. They take all the world has for their own greedy purposes, but they do not fear God. They worship prosperity and fame and power, this legacy that they can puff themselves up with, leaving it for their children. But unlike the wicked, David is his focus set on being always with God. That sounds like somebody else's focus, doesn't it? That's our focus. That's our focus.

David seeks true riches. He holds on to the true hope of being like God himself after he wakes from the sleep of death. Now, scholars will argue and they'll say, well, did David fully understand what he was saying? Did he fully understand about having the likeness of God? Did he know, for example, what God has revealed to us since the time of Christ, since his death, all the prophets of Isaiah and Daniel and Jeremiah came after David? Did David know all these things too back then? My answer? Well, David knew enough, didn't he? He knew enough to trust God and to hold fast to the hope of everlasting life with God. He knew that he would see his Creator. He would see his God in his likeness, with his likeness.

David turned to God, you see, as his refuge, protector and shelter. But it's important to understand, though, not only to protect him from the wicked, from the wicked without, but something more, also from the potential for sin and wickedness that is within himself. You see, we've just been talking about the most obvious reason, David, as we read, that David was turning to God for protection. Because we also see that David understood a greater enemy and a greater peril to his life existed. And that peril to his life had to do with sin in his heart. It had to do with sin in his heart.

David sought God's help and protection in that second way, for a very important reason. And if you've ever been a human being, you will understand what I'm talking about. Okay, no one's disagreeing with me on that. That's okay. You're listening. What do we typically want to do when people start doing us wrong? Cursing at us, taking away justice, fairness? I think you know.

These people are out to destroy him. But as we read earlier in verses 1 through 5, especially verse 5, David had asked that God be careful not to let his foot slip. He said, "... uphold my steps in your paths, that my footsteps may not slip." He recognized, you see, the danger he could turn. He could turn and become like the wicked. He had human nature in him, just as we do ourselves. That is the greater peril to his life. David didn't want to hate them like they hated him. He didn't want to be like them. And that's why he asked God to deal with them and to protect him and even to avenge him. He didn't want to be responsible for that because he was not just as God is just. David, we can see from verse 5, he did not want to lose sight of what is most important in life. And that is having that right relationship with God. And again, he sought the true riches. He sought to maintain that right relationship with God. He had his mind and heart focused on the true riches and true life with God. And so there's a lesson here for us. The most obvious enemies in our lives may well be those that come at us from without, like the wicked of the world David describes here. But our greater enemy, even as David recognized, lies within our own human nature, that potential to turn away from God because that is our proclivity as human beings to rebel against God. And so, so far we've seen these images about God's protection. We've come to recognize a little more with the help of Psalm 17 how we do need God's protection, not only from things without that perhaps we don't have control over, and from things within our heart, our attitudes, our responses, which we do have more control over, and especially if we have the help of God. And so, although we do need to seek God's protection from wickedness and the wicked people of the world, we must not fall into the trap of thinking that the only danger to ourselves comes from without. And sometimes in our prayer and we ask for God's protection and we certainly must be doing that. Whether you're driving on the road or wherever we're doing in life, things happen. But we don't want to neglect asking God's protection and defense from our own hearts, our own minds, from within. So how can we shelter then more effectively in God today? What's the understanding we've been given through God's Word today? How can we shelter in God today? Well, it's certainly possible sheltering Him within it is through living faith in Christ's sacrifice, and it's through the gift of God's Holy Spirit in us. God protects His faithful ones today from dangers and harm, but God especially will help us and defend us and protect us from the spiritual dangers and harm that can come our way. And so it is that when we accept the Father's calling to salvation and we are convicted of our sins against God and then we repent and we were baptized and we know that baptism represents our commitment, it represents our putting to death that old man, our old sinful ways of living, and so that we might live a new life, a brand new life of faithful obedience and submission to God through Jesus Christ. And then after the baptism we receive God's gift of His Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. It's then that God's Spirit dwells in us, God Himself dwells in us through His Holy Spirit. His Holy Spirit is the God's Spirit is His very essence. In many ways, even as Psalms will tell us, it's at that point with God in us through Spirit that God becomes in every way a very present and immediate help and aid to us in our need. Through God's Spirit in us, God does live in us. John 1423-24. Let's look at a few places in the New Testament. John 1423-24.

It's good to remind ourselves what is in us, what is sheltering, what is there to shelter us from within, what is our spiritual power that is in us. John 1423-24. And I went to the wrong place.

All right, I could get these classes. Okay. John 1423. Jesus answered and said to Him, Jesus' words here, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. God's going to home with us.

He who does not love me does not keep my words. Sort of like the wicked we were reading about John in Psalm 17. And the word which you hear, Jesus said, these aren't my words.

The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's. The Father's word who sent me. These are the words of God our Father. The words of the one who calls us, begins this process of conversion, if we are willing to accept it. God dwells in us through His Holy Spirit. Let's also look at Galatians 2.20. Galatians 2.20. Another powerful reminder of what this is, what it is God has given us. Some of its aspects. We are told in Galatians 2.20 that upon being reconciled with God through faith in Christ's sacrifice, that commitment we make, baptism, Christ lives in us, to give us the strength from God we need, the strength we need, brethren, to resist and to defend ourselves with God's help for those enemies. The enemies we can call temptation and sin. Galatians 2.20. Paul says, I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. It's a very personal relationship, one founded on God's love. Let's recall the encouraging words. Back a few pages. Romans 8, Romans 8, 8-11.

Paul talking about the importance of the Holy Spirit that God's precious gift to us.

Very encouraging words, Romans 8-11. Here Paul writes, so then those who are in the flesh cannot please God, not in the ultimate sense. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin. But the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, which dwells in you. Takes us back to Psalm 17.15, what David was talking about. David may not have understood it like we do, but he understood that hope God had given him, that depth of understanding it would seem. And of course, if God's Spirit dwells in us, and we also understand we have that begettle, the true life in us as well, there's that guarantee of everlasting life to come. And so we do have that hope, which strengthens and fortifies us. Now of course, as always, it's not a one-way street, so to speak. We have our part to do in choosing to be sheltered in God.

We can't just sit there and say, hey, shelter me!

God says, I'm over here. Well, no, you come here. No, I think we need to do what God says, don't you? We have to partake, for example. What's our part in remaining sheltered in God? What did Jesus tell us? Matthew 4, 4. He quoted from Deuteronomy.

You don't have to say it out loud. I'm not going to put you in a bad spot.

We're to partake of God's Word every day, that bread of life. It hasn't been that long ago since we were observing the days of Unleavened Bread. He said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. So you've heard it before, you're hearing it again, and you will hear it again, and again, and again, and again. We have to live by the Word of God, not as we interpret it, but as God interprets Scripture, interprets Scripture, and with the use of full help of God's Holy Spirit. Colossians 3 gives us another insight into the sort of things we must be doing. This is related to repentance, the things we need to give up, and the things we need to take up and do. Colossians 3, we who have died to sin, we do that through baptism, and that whole process of conversion, we who have died to sin, we must yield to God's Word and His Spirit in us to keep those spiritual defenses strong. We have our good work to keep doing. We cannot slacken. We cannot slacken.

I hate it when you get a sneeze right at the end, and it just won't come. I'm so sorry. Excuse me. Colossians 3, verse 1, we have our good work to keep doing. Paul writes again, If then you were raised with Christ, he's talking about baptism, through baptism, if then you were raised with Christ through baptism, giving up that old dead way of life, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.

Notice where Christ is at the right hand of God. Brethren, He's on the high ground. He's up. He's high. It's where our defense, our rock is. Yes, He's in us through God's Spirit, but He's also at the right hand of God and the throne of God. He's enthroned in power, the right hand of the Father, and He dwells in us through the Spirit. He is our stronghold, our refuge, our shelter. He's right where He needs to be.

Verse 2, Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth, for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. There's that hope again. There's that confidence again, the resurrection, a resurrection to immortality at Christ's return as we have been revealed to us through God's Scripture and inspiration. Verse 5, Therefore, so what do we do? Therefore, put to death your members that are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, upon the wicked. Those... David was asking God's protection from. Upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. We used to be that way, but we've given that up. We've heard God's call. We've accepted removing forward with God. And Paul adds, verse 8, But now you yourselves are put off all these anger, wrath, malice. These are the things David was probably trying hard not to do himself when his enemies were attacking him as we were reading about in Psalm 17. He needed God's defense so he wouldn't go that way. Because, oh, it could be so easy. You don't want to take that step and give back just as we've gotten. Put away blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another. We're going to be lied to, but we do not lie. Do not lie to one another since you've put off the old man with his deeds. And you've put on the new man who has renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, there's neither circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, nor free. But Christ is all and in all. There again, where is our rock? He's in us. Christ is in us. He's sheltering. He's helping us in us through God's Spirit. And so it is we cannot and must not be practicing our old sinful, wicked ways. We must be rejected, tossed out of our heart, out of the shelter in us that is of God's love and way. What must we who shelter in place with God be doing?

We must be allowing God to rule and hold its way over our hearts. We must allow God to strengthen his spiritual defenses in us to help us become like he is. As we look down now to verse 12, Paul describes more detail the godly works of love. They are works of love because these are of the character of God. God is love. Paul describes the works of love, the godly works of love we must be doing in service to him and to our brethren. Verse 12, Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies in kindness, in humility. Don't these things sound better to our ears than that list I was reading just before? Humility, meekness, long suffering, bearing with one another, forgiving one another. And if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do. And of course, if any of us have a complaint against another, we need to go to our brother. We need to go to our sister after having first examined ourselves in humility with God's help. What is it we're supposed to take out of our eye first before we go to help our brother? Take out of that plank. Take out of that beam. Take out that 12 by 12 by 10 foot plank out of her eye. Then go talk to our brother and see about helping him. But above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection. Look at that. Put on love. The bond of, it's a bond. It unites us in perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, not this stuff we buried with our old selves. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you are called in one body, unified in one body. Then Paul adds, and be thankful. Be thankful. Thankfulness, true thankfulness, especially to God, it'll drive out a lot of the bitterness and acrimony, anything bad that might be stewing in our hearts. It's a great repellent for negativity in our lives.

What another, another, what another wonderful thing to understand. Together, we are all members of the body of Christ through God's Spirit in us. We share that Spirit. That gives us that bond by God's Spirit and his love, we are unified as one. 1 John 4, 12 through 16. Let's turn and read these reassuring and really encouraging words by the Apostle John.

1 John 4, 12 through 16. These words remind us that we are indeed to abide. That means to dwell and to remain in God's love, or to abide, dwell, remain in God's love. John 4 verse 12.

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, if we love one another, God abides in us.

Dwells remains in us. And his love has been perfected in us, or has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit. It's a spirit of power in its essence, but it's a spirit of, obviously, love. Verse 14.

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. And whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he and God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. It's that bond. It's this interconnection, that beautiful, wonderful interconnection.

These verses, brethren, point us to that vital aspect of sheltering in God. A vital aspect of sheltering in God. As we are to become like Christ, we then have a shared responsibility because we're becoming like Christ. Well, then that means we also have a shared responsibility to help and shelter one another as members of Christ's body.

Being that shelter and strength and a rock doesn't end with God and Christ. It becomes part of our responsibility and the ways we can do those things with the help of God's word, with the help of God's Spirit in us. God is in us. Where is our place? Our place is in God, right? Our place is in God.

So, in other words, we need to reflect those qualities of God's love and compassion, even as suggested by those four sets of images we were looking at the very beginning and we've been touching back on as touchstones throughout this message. We have to remember those images, those sheltering protection, those images of sheltering protection. So, what does that mean? Well, let's rehearse a little bit. We can ask ourselves some questions about our part in becoming part of the sheltering protection of one another in the body of Christ. For example, are we doing anything? Are we doing anything to be like a relieving shadow, a cooling shadow, to those who are feeling especially overwhelmed by the intensity, by the heat, we might say, of the terrible trials they are going through? Can we be a cooling shadow for those in midst of terrible troubles right now?

Number two, are we being, are we in any way being like wings? Are we being like wings, providing comforting protection somehow, whether physically or even spiritually, to those troubled by fear and doubt? Anyone may need some reassurance.

Also, are we being like our rock? Are we being like our rock Jesus Christ, providing helpful support and encouragement in any way we can, especially through prayer?

To be that helpful support and encouragement to those who are feeling disheartened, disheartened, disheartened, discouraged, useless?

Finally, are we doing what we can to be a shield in defense to those who are weak, to those who are feeling especially weary and crushed by life situations? They're going through things they never expected all their day. They heard about it. They never thought it would happen to them. And now it is. Are we there for one another? Can we be a shield in defense to those who are especially feeling weak and weary right now?

I hope you see my point. You see, God is our help and shelter in all these predicaments that we face in this life. And God uses us if we will let Him. God is using us to help and shelter one another with His love. Even as He loves us, so are we to love one another. This is part of that love.

It's critical, then, that you and I don't simply relax and bask in that sheltering protection of God's love that He has given us and all those blessings, and then fail to be a shelter and help to our brother and sister in need when we are able to do something. And we can all pray that is one of the most powerful, helpful things we can possibly do. So, brethren, let's remember something as I conclude now. Let's remember that we don't shelter alone and isolated in God and Christ. We're not the only one under God's shadow. And if this fun example will help you, we're not the only one under God's shadow. We're not the only chick under His wing. We're not the only one sheltering in the rock.

To shelter in God and Christ, we must commit ourselves and stay committed in living life God's way as He instructs from His scripture and so lay down our lives for one another. To receive God's love and to share God's love is the most powerful shelter and defense against sin that exists against sin within us and against the wickedness of the world. Brethren, our place is in God, so we need to shelter in place and shelter in God.