Monday's Marriage Moment -- Shelter in Place!

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 Him I will trust.” 
-Psalm 91:1-2

I was feeling a bit overwhelmed this morning thinking about the things I need to accomplish this week, and I heard these words in my head: shelter in place. That phrase may not have any meaning for you, but as a public school educator for over 15 years those words have great value for me. See, in April 1999, students at Columbine High School initiated an attack on students and teachers that made that phrase have meaning. Their attack shocked the world. The education system went into high alert, and we developed procedures and systems to protect our children and staff if they ever came under attack. If ever there is an outside threat (be it a person or severe weather), we have to go into what is called "lock down". We have to close and lock our doors, cover and close our windows, hide or get out of any lines of sights, and remain perfectly quiet. We also call this "shelter in place". That means stop where you are and do the things I mentioned immediately.

Some of us are under real attack right now. We are feeling the threat of an outside intruder. You may be overwhelmed, frustrated, angry, or sick. The enemy has an arsenal equipped with ways to attack us. I encourage you to shelter in place! Perhaps you need to find a room and lock the door, close the blinds, and get away from the windows. Remove yourself from his line of sight! Get away from the hustle and bustle and demands of the world, and have an old fashioned shut-in even if it is just for a few minutes. Jesus had to take time away from the needs of the world and the disciples, so certainly we need to as well. Then you need to be quiet. There is so much noise in our world that sometimes we become distracted, but I want to encourage you to find time to simply be quiet before the Lord. Turn off the phone. Turn off the TV. Go into your closet if you have to, but make the time to be still and quiet. As the author of Psalm 46 said, "Be still and know that I am God". Quiet your mind and soul and know that God is going to keep and protect you.

God has a place of safety for you. In Psalm 91, He invites you to dwell in the secret place with Him. The secret place is not a physical place, but it is your place of prayer and devotion to Him. It's your quiet place. It is where you lock down with Him knowing that He is your refuge and fortress. He will protect you from whatever attack is coming against you, your family, your marriage, your finances, and any other assault that the enemy has in mind. Read the entire chapter of Psalm 91. In it God promises deliverance, protection, shelter, promotion, and salvation. He will give you what you need to survive the attack.

I am sounding the alarm! It is time to lock down! Shelter in place!