Shelter From The Storm

How often does it happen that a Scripture passage just leaps out at the appropriate moment?  Time and time again,  the Living Word appears to assure us that God is very much in charge and we have nothing to fear.  Such was the case earlier this morning in the midst of the media bombardments about Sandy, the Superstorm, that this passage from Isaiah was the antiphon for Psalm 5 in Magnificat's Prayer for the Morning:  "Over all, his glory will be shelter and protection:/ shade from the parching heat of the day,/ refuge and cover from the storm and rain." (Is 4:6).   And again before the Canticle of Zechariah:  "You are a refuge to the poor,/ a refuge to the needy in distress;/ shelter from the rain,/ shade from the heat." (Is 25:4).  How blessed are we to have these reminders of God's loving care and protection, especially when a constant diet of predictions of rising tides, coastal floodings, power outages and anticipatory cancellations is bound to raise the anxiety level of even the most serene psyches.  Our true shelter is in the God who made heaven and earth and promises shelter and refuge even in the worst of situations.  We simply need to see storms from God's perspective, as with illness, as with other challenges that are part of our human condition.  "The eyes of the lord are upon those who love him;/ he is their mighty shield and strong support,/ a shelter from the heat, a shade from the noonday sun, a guard against stumbling, a help against falling." (Sirach 34: 16).
Bro. Rene