Sheltering in Place
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1
All but a few states have implemented "sheltering in place," a term which means we need to stay home unless we need something essential. The idea is when we remain in our home, we are safer than when we are out in public. And if we have to go out, we are to practice social distancing, another new term meaning to keep a distance of six feet from other people. Why are we doing these things? Well, hopefully, to flatten the curve of the Covid-19 virus, which has invaded the world. The goal is to get this virus under control and then to be able to go back to life as we knew it before.
I am all for complying, but in the back of my mind, I have my doubts about what's really going on. I think if I trusted the government, I would not question what they ask us to do. But since our political leaders have not always shown themselves to be trustworthy, how can we know? Does the government have our best interests at heart? Or are they "priming people, mentally, to accept this as something that is perfectly normal; what they call psychological 'softening' to get people to accept the idea?" [1] And to make us easier to control. Unfortunately, I don't have the answer to that. I do believe there are powerful people now who are pushing for a one-world government where they have all the control. And we know that in the tribulation, Antichrist will temporarily rule the world and have that kind of control over people. So, are we closer to that day than many might think? Isn't it plausible to at least consider that we are being primed for a time soon when we will accept not having our freedom? As a believer, I do not think Christians will be here when the Antichrist comes into power because we will have been raptured. But that doesn't mean we won't experience the time leading up to the tribulation. Someone recently wrote, "If the chaos is this bad with the coronavirus, imagine what it will be after the rapture!" How true. So, what are we to do?
We have a God who is one-hundred percent trustworthy. And He is a shelter that is a safe place for us to be; safer than our homes are right now. When we shelter in place with the Most High; and rest in the shadow of the Almighty, we indeed find security and protection. To dwell in the shelter of God means to be in His presence-- to abide in Him and trust Him. There we find peace, rest, hope, and joy. There He speaks to us. We don't fear what is ahead because we know God is in control. And we find safety and comfort in that knowledge.
When I think of Jesus, I think of Him as always being in the shelter of the Most High, His Father. There is never a lost connection. That's why He said things like "I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me" (Jn 14:11), and "I only do what I see my Father doing" (Jn 5:19). My problem is I am only there sometimes. I could never say that I only do what I see my heavenly Father doing. Often, I do my own thing because I am not sheltering in place with God. As J. Vernon McGee puts it, "my stay is like it is in motels--only for a night or two at a time." I've also heard it said that God is using the government's response to the coronavirus to strip away the distractions that often keep us from sheltering with Him. So remember this: As you shelter in place at your home, you will have more time to shelter in place with the Most High.