It is rainy season in Guatemala. Often that means we get some rain every afternoon or evening. Other times, it means a torrential downpour. After three hours of pouring rain the other night, giving me the start of a headache as the rain poured and poured on my tin roof, I woke up the next morning thinking about God being our shelter from the storm. 

I looked up the following verses related to shelter, all from the New Living Translation:

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble (Psalm 9:9).

You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence far from accusing tongues (Psalm 30:20).

How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings (Psalm 36:7).

Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings (Psalm 61:4).

Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion and all who assemble there.
He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day and smoke and flaming fire at night, covering the glorious land.  It will be a shelter from daytime heat and a hiding place from storms and rain  (Isaiah 4:5-6).

Look, a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under him. Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land (Isaiah 31:1-2).

Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help (Isaiah 58:7).

As I read these verses I felt the comfort of knowing that He is our shelter, but I also realized the following:

• It is guaranteed that we will experience storms in this life, but He is our shelter in the storm.
• Our family, friends, neighbors, and others … everyone will face storms in this life.
• As those knowing the shelter from the storm, we are to be a shelter to others.
• Often we’re asked to be a shelter for people or circumstances that we’d rather keep our distance from, but just as God draws near to us we are to draw near to them.
• Our providing shelter in their storm may be what He uses for them to find their ultiamte shelter in Him.
• We need wisdom and grace to be this shelter. If not done well, we can add to rather than take away from the storm.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What storm are you in right now? Have you found shelter in Him? What are the storms of others around you? What have you done to be a shelter for them? How can we add to someone’s storm rather than be a shelter from the storm?