The Safest Place

 

"Oh that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest.

Indeed, I would wander far off,

and remain in the wilderness.

Selah.

I would hasten my escape

from the windy storm and tempest."

Psalm 55: 6-8

I think we all have wished from

time to time that we could

fly away from trouble and escape

into a beautiful place of peace.

David wrote this very thought in Psalm 55

when he said he was surrounded by 

the voice of the enemy

and the oppression of the wicked.

He said the wicked troubled him

and they hated him.

This situation severely pained

his heart and brought fear 

and trembling upon him.

He said they didn't fear God

and they had war in their hearts.

Sound familiar?

I think we can all identify an

enemy of some sort or another

in our our life experience who

has caused similar emotions to rise

in our hearts.

Sometimes we just want to fly away 

to a better place like a bird on wing.

I understand...I've been there.

It's often just easier to leave a difficult

situation and find someplace peaceful.

David's solution was ultimately 

not to fly off to a better place,

but to fly into the Arms of his Savior.

He finishes this beautiful Psalm 

with these words....

"Cast your burden on the Lord,

and  He will sustain you.

He shall never permit the righteous

to be shaken.....I will trust in You."

Corrie Ten Boom shared that 

during the war she had been unable

to sleep one night.  

She got up to make some

tea and to visit with her sister Betsie.

When she returned to her bed she felt

a piece of shrapnel from a bomb in

in her bedding. 

She ran to Betsie to tell her.

She cried to Betsie in the fear of what could

have happened if she hadn't gotten up from

bed to go have tea. 

Betsie comforted her

with the reminder that

 "there are no  'if's'

 in God's world, 

and no places that are safer

 than other places. 

The center of His will is our only safety.

Let us pray that we will always know it"

Betsie and Corrie were held

safely in God's  care as they chose 

to abide in Him.

This is our safe place of refuge as well.

God will not take us

where he cannot sustain us.

He never abandons His children

and tells them to find their way 

on their own alone without Him.

We can enter this day rejoicing

that God will provide all we need

moment by moment.

Jesus is all we need.

I leave you with a little blessing

from Corrie ten Boom...