June 7, 2021
When You Need a Safe Place
Suzanne Eller
Today’s Truth
Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all – all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help (Hebrews 4:14-18 Message).
Friend to Friend
I half-ran, half-walked down the trail. My breath came in short spurts. My daily walk seemed like a lovely idea until the heavens opened, and rain poured. The rain wasn’t a big deal. I didn’t mind that I was soaked. It was the rolling dark clouds and flashing lightning that made me feel exposed.
Was I supposed to stay out in the open, or hide under the branches of one of the larger trees that surrounded me? Both seemed like a bad option, so I kept running until I finally made it to the safety of my home.
While I longed for a safe place in this storm, there have also been times I’ve felt unsafe in other ways. Illness strikes. The bank account is way too low. A close relationship hits a rough patch.
Have you been there? Are you there now?
In Hebrews 4, the author describes Jesus as one who has experienced the rain and storms.
Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all – all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. (Hebrews 4:14-18 Message)
Jesus has not only experienced it all, He offers to be our refuge.
This is no ordinary shelter. This is a safe place as vast as the skies God created. The rains still come. Skies still split open. The earth shakes. Yet the author of creation offers safety for our soul and our spirit. He holds out mercy. He holds out help. He asks that we come out of the rain and into His shelter.
The beautiful message in Hebrews 4 is that this safe place is not dependent on our own efforts but found in the safety of our relationship with Him. If you are in the rain and the storm clouds are near, He stands ready to be your refuge.
Let’s Pray
Jesus, how many times have I tried to do things on my own, when You are right there. You offer rest. You offer refuge. That safe place is deep as the ocean and as high as the skies and as wide as the universe. I confess that I am weary of standing in the rain alone, so I run to Your shelter. I say yes to all that You long to give me.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
When we feel unsafe, we feel out in the open, bare, and uncovered. The idea that we have a shelter in the form of our Heavenly Father is inviting.
In your journal or on a piece of paper, write down what is making you feel unsafe. Talk to your Savior about that honestly – with the understanding that He has direct access to His Heavenly Father, and that He loves you and promises to be a safe place.
More from the Girlfriends
One major joy stealer is the belief that God is disappointed in you when you are sad or uncertain. The JoyKeeper truth is that when you are honest with God about how you feel, you give yourself permission to heal.
Suzanne Eller’s book, JoyKeeper, examines 6 truths that will change everything you thought you knew about joy.
Read and download the first chapter of JoyKeeper absolutely free.
© 2021 by Suzanne Eller. All rights reserved.