As for Me and My HouseSample

Find Cover

As the man ran past me, he nearly knocked me down. Before I could utter a word in protest, the sound of shouting caught my attention. I turned around and saw another man pull out a gun and point it in my direction. 

One moment I was minding my own business walking down the block, the next I literally found myself caught in the crossfire, looking for cover. I hit the ground just in time to avoid the volley of bullets that whizzed over my head. 

Within moments, both men ran around the corner, and it was over just as quickly as it had started.

I would love to say such an event was unusual, but the truth is, it wasn’t. I grew up in the ‘hood. The sounds of gunshots and sirens were as common as cicadas on a farm.

I personally dodged bullets three times, was mugged twice, and had a knife held to my throat. I survived, but I knew people who didn’t. To put it mildly, my neighborhood was rough. Survival was an ever-present struggle. Everyone was looking for some form of protective cover.

Many around me believed the best way to find cover was to give in and join one of the local gangs. The gangs provided a sense of belonging, strength, and security. If you were part of a gang, you had people to watch your back.

Unfortunately, rival gangs often fought each other for control over the neighborhood. If you walked down the wrong block wearing the wrong gang colors your life was over. Even if you managed to survive, membership required participation in illegal activities. Your chances of incarceration were high, and your life expectancy was low.

Psalm 91 offers a different option. 

It says we can choose to find cover in God and “dwell in the shelter of the Most High.” When we do, God says we will not need to “fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.” God promises to be with us in trouble, “he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

It wasn’t easy living in that environment or being one of the only people I knew actively trying to live out my faith, but knowing God had my back gave me peace. 

No matter what you are facing today, know you can find cover in “the shelter of the Most High.”

For more help read, “7 Truths to Remember in Troubled Times” on FamilyLife.com.