Shut In

Yesterday I was watching the TV guide channel because I could not find a single high quality television program to watch…imagine that. The movie that was playing was Panic Room. Long story short, a mom and her daughter have their house broken into by criminals and are forced into their panic room in order to protect themselves. They were stuck in the room. There was very little food, very little space, and they were completely surrounded by danger. But it was necessary to keep them safe.

God provides his followers with, for lack of a better word, panic rooms. In the story of Noah and the flood, God provided a safe place for Noah and his family while he was destroying the rest of earth and all living things apart from those on the ark. Genesis 7:16 says: “The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.” Earlier verses in chapter 7 say that Noah was the only righteous man left and that is why God chose to deliver him while the wicked were destroyed.

God protects those who love him. Psalm 18:2 says: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” God is a rock, a fortress, a deliverer, and a stronghold. In times of trouble and times of panic, God is a stronghold. He provides refuge. In Noah’s case it was the ark. Though it was cramped, smelly, and surrounded by danger, it was also safe from destruction.

God protects the upright and the righteous. He is a refuge for his people in times of trouble and a stronghold in times of danger. Sometimes we may not be aware of the flood around us. Sometimes it may seem like God has shut us in a smelly, cramped place for no reason. And yet we can always know God is protecting us. We can’t see it all, but God does. When God shuts you in, thank him for it.