Just before going down to cross the river, in a paddock by the road was a lovely shady tree. Under the tree, as much in the shade as possible, anyway, was a herd of cattle. Yes, they were seeking shelter from the heat of the midday sun.

 I thought how just a week before, some of us would have been looking for a sheltered spot, not from the sun, but from driving rain.

  As Christians, we can read many verses, and passages, in God’s Word to remind us of the shelter God offers us through trying and difficult times. One such passage, written by King David, is found in Psalm 61. 

“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer! In despair and far from home I call to you! Take me to a safe refuge, for you are my protector, my strong defence against my enemies.”

  Isaiah,  a prophet of Old Testament times, wrote some similar words in Isaiah 24: “You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.”

God doesn’t remove us from the difficult times, or not let the hard times come our way, but He does offer us shelter and protection.   Let’s use the protection God offers us through those difficult days in which we are going to find ourselves.