A Place of Belonging

      By Fern Horst

"Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. - He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 90:1, Psalm 91:1)

A few years ago a returned missionary friend reminded us of the verses above in a talk she gave at a women's retreat. In the midst of despairing over the lack of security she was giving her children as they moved from city to city and from country to country, the Lord gave her the assurance that He Himself is their dwelling place, not a particular house, city or country. She realized that there was no better security she could give her children, than teaching them how to "dwell in the secret place of the most High".

Many times we as singles do not feel that we really have a place of belonging. Perhaps divorce or death has upset the familiar home that had been established. Or perhaps the lack of someone to share our homes with or to move with us from place to place also leaves us feeling insecure and alone.

But no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves, single or married, this world is not our home. Our sense of belonging is in Jesus Christ who "has been our dwelling place in all generations". We do not lack a home for our hearts, nor do we lack a place of belonging. No matter where we are or what has been taken from us, we can "dwell in the secret place of the most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

It is a learning process coming to recognize the security of this Home of ours. But once we do, we can come back to it again and again. Just as my niece reached out for a sense of familiarity in an unfamiliar setting, so we too can learn to reach out to our Lord for our belonging and security.

"I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.... He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.... Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." (Psalm 92:2, 4, 9-11)

© 2000 Fern Horst

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