Scripture: Isaiah 4:5-6
Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over its places of assembly a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night. Indeed over all the glory there will be a canopy. It will serve as a pavilion, view a shade by day from the heat, look and a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.

Thought for the Day: Hurricane Isaac is on the way to Southwest Florida. As we hunker down at the house, illness checking water supplies, candles, and dry goods, I am thankful for the shelter I have. Storms approach and there is nothing we can do about that. But my family and I will be safe because we have shelter and a refuge.

Our human journey is deeply emotional, full of everything from spring showers to full-on hurricanes. We don’t go about our lives like an animal, simply searching for shelter and food. We think, sometimes obsessively, about the situations we find ourselves in (or have placed ourselves in). We worry about the future, about the health of loved ones, and whether or not our kids will grow up to be responsible and compassionate citizens of Earth.

God serves as a spiritual refuge when we are seeking shelter from life’s storms. Like an invisible canopy over all existence, God is our shade in the heat, our shelter in the hurricane. While we can’t prevent the storms in our lives, we can at least rest easy in the knowledge that God is always providing a safe place for us to turn, to vent our fears and frustrations, and ultimately to receive a loving, warm, life-renewing embrace.

Prayer: You are my shelter through all of life’s hurricanes, Holy God of refuge. May I always remember to seek you when my life hits the inevitable storm or two. Amen.