The Shelter In the Storm! Ps 61:1 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

Ps 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Ps 61:3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

How many of you have ever been in a hurricane?

I can remember in 1995 when Hurricane Opal hit the Gulf Coast of Florida!

♦My family and I evacuated and drove up into northern Alabama and found refuge in a military dormitory that was being used as a hurricane shelter!

♦This is the only time I am aware of that I have been in a shelter!

♦Yet, many people have spent a great deal of their lives in shelters!

Just What Is A Shelter?Shelter = a place giving protection from bad weather or danger; a place providing food and accommodations for

those in need (Oxford)

♦Even here in our city there are many kinds of shelters!

♦Homeless shelters

♦Animal shelters

♦Tornado shelters

♦Battered Women shelters

♦And many more!

♦All of these are designed to “help” in time of need!

The Most Important Shelter!This is not so much a physical shelter, but a soul

saving shelter! ♦What happens when we hear that a

hurrican or tornado is coming?

♦Do we sit around and do nothing, or do we start to get ready to face the storm?

♦Do we say who cares, or do we try to protect our families and our homes?

♦Where will we go when the storms of life come, when this life is over?

♦Will we find shelter in the storm?

I. The Protection of the LORD!Truly it is good to be a Christian! A-men!

♦There is no better life, than the life of a Christian! Both now and later!

♦1Ti 4:7-8 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

♦Where do we go to find protection? In what do we hope and trust tonight?

The child of God doesn’t need to be afraid because God is with him!

♦Num 14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

Deut 31:6-8 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

We need to understand “where” our protection and power lies!

♦Josh 1:5-7 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

Josh 1:8-9 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Josh. 1:5-6 Faithful 1:7-8 Focus 1:9 Fearless!

Far too many trust in the wrong things and go to the wrong places for protection!

♦Ro 8:37-39 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Jo 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

II. The Provisions of the LORD!♦Not only does God protect His children, He also

provides for them! A-men!!!

♦The Bible often tells us of our need to trust in the Lord & His provisions! (Mt. 6:19-34)

♦When God is truly “first” we do not need to worry about the storms of life!

♦God is here to “help” us!

♦Heb 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

This does not mean we will never have a need in life!

It means that God will alway give us strength to endure what is put before us!

♦Php 4:11-13 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

III. The Providence of the LORD!To me this is where it really gets exciting!

♦One of the greatest examples of providence is found in the life of Joseph!

♦He prospered in everything he did, because God was with him!

♦Ge 39:2-3 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

♦When we learn to let go and let God, we learn to live in the providence of the LORD!

Do you think that Joseph could have end up where he did alone?

♦Ge 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

♦Ge 50:19-21 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for I am in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

We too are promised that God will be with us!♦Mt 28:20b ... lo, I am with you always, even

unto the end of the world. Amen.

♦Ro 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

♦Heb 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Conclusion:♦Where will we go for “shelter in the storm?”

♦I once heard someone say “the only thing in life that is certain, is that life isn’t certain”

♦I have often found this to be true in my life!

♦Things do not always go as planned, and we do not always understand why, but God understands!

♦Will you come to the Lord to find shelter? Will you trust and depend on Him “when” and not “if” the storms of life come?

♦There is safety in the hands of the Lord!