Finding Shelter

By Sarah Bryant, Devotional Team writer at Fellowship Bible Church, Rogers, Celebrate Recovery, 3/24/21

Banjo, my black lab, loves to go for walks. Since I’ve been working from home over this past year, she wants to go on one at least two time a day. 

When the weather is nice she has a blast, but as the summer comes and the days get hotter she has a hard time not overheating because of her thick, black fur. 

In July and August she doesn’t understand why we can’t go as far or as long. I think she would literally continue to walk in the blazing sun until she fell over and passed out. 
As her fur-ever mom, I want her to be able to enjoy herself, but it’s still my job to protect her.

On the hot days we take short walks, and when the sun is at our backs I’ll walk behind her so my shadow casts shade on her. Throughout the walk, things will catch her attention and she’ll turn to one side and then the other and step out of my shadow, but each time I just take a few steps to the side and bring her back into my shade. As I was casting shade on her one day, I thought about Psalm 91 which says, 

“As for you, the one who lives in the shelter of the sovereign One, and resides in the protective shadow of the mighty King…He will shelter you with His wings, you will find safety under His wings.”

How many times in my life have I insisted on continuing to walk in the blazing sun to my own
detriment? Before getting involved in CR, when I was deep in my struggles and left to my own
desires, I would keep going my own way until I simply fell over and passed out. But as I
continue to grow in my relationship with God I can make better choices to walk closer to Him.
Even if I take a few steps to the right or to the left, He will be there to lovingly take a few steps
to the side with me and shade me until I find my way back to the path. 

As a child of the King it’s comforting to know that if I just stick close to God, I can always find shelter in His shadow.

Click HERE to listen to "On Eagles Wings" by Shane & Shane

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