The Safe Place
The young mother
held the newborn baby in her arms, providing a ‘Safe Place’. A place where
her child is loved and cared for .
held the newborn baby in her arms, providing a ‘Safe Place’. A place where
her child is loved and cared for .
What is a Safe Place? It is a place is where someone is not hungry
or hurt. It is defined as a sanctuary, a
shelter, a hideaway or a refuge. It is
defined as being secure from liability to harm, hurt, injury, danger or risk.
or hurt. It is defined as a sanctuary, a
shelter, a hideaway or a refuge. It is
defined as being secure from liability to harm, hurt, injury, danger or risk.
As we grow up, we
find other safe places, for we cannot stay a babe in arms forever. The first Safe
Place I remember was under a pink bedspread on Sunday afternoon. Time didn’t seem to exist under the bedspread. Light streamed through the bedspread giving
the current book I read a rosy-colored hue.
The book carried me further away from my bedroom to worlds beyond in
adventures.
find other safe places, for we cannot stay a babe in arms forever. The first Safe
Place I remember was under a pink bedspread on Sunday afternoon. Time didn’t seem to exist under the bedspread. Light streamed through the bedspread giving
the current book I read a rosy-colored hue.
The book carried me further away from my bedroom to worlds beyond in
adventures.
Life beyond
stories in books beckoned me. There I
learned laughter, rejection, understanding, failure and a myriad other
first-hand lessons. There were moments
of peace that calmed my soul. There were
moments of terror and the spectre of death that shook my Safe Place.
stories in books beckoned me. There I
learned laughter, rejection, understanding, failure and a myriad other
first-hand lessons. There were moments
of peace that calmed my soul. There were
moments of terror and the spectre of death that shook my Safe Place.
Darkness carried
its unease. My bedroom, as a girl, had
four windows looking on to our backyard.
One night, during the height of World War II, I saw millions of foreign
soldiers peering into my bedroom from the darkness. My Dad’s strong hand held
mine as he led me into the dark regions of the back yard to show me there was no danger. Now God’s strong hand guides me in the
labyrinths of darkness of this world.
its unease. My bedroom, as a girl, had
four windows looking on to our backyard.
One night, during the height of World War II, I saw millions of foreign
soldiers peering into my bedroom from the darkness. My Dad’s strong hand held
mine as he led me into the dark regions of the back yard to show me there was no danger. Now God’s strong hand guides me in the
labyrinths of darkness of this world.
The Safe Place, we as parents, provided for
our children has come full circle. In our
old and weakened age, our children provide that Safe Place for us. They give
us the confidence to live in a dark world that threatens on every side.
our children has come full circle. In our
old and weakened age, our children provide that Safe Place for us. They give
us the confidence to live in a dark world that threatens on every side.
Our Safe Place
can be not secured with the things of this earth – money, education, affluence,
power or possessions. For all of these
things, can disappear in an instant, leaving nothing. Or is it a beginning of the realization of
our true Safe Place?
can be not secured with the things of this earth – money, education, affluence,
power or possessions. For all of these
things, can disappear in an instant, leaving nothing. Or is it a beginning of the realization of
our true Safe Place?
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where
moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.
Store your treasures in
heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and
steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Matthew 6:19-21
moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.
Store your treasures in
heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and
steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Matthew 6:19-21
Store our treasures in heaven where moths
and rust cannot destroy or thieves do not break in and steal? Who is in
charge? That sounds like the Safe
Place I need. Now. I
wonder how much it costs. Could I buy it
in instalments? How much would it cost
to ship my treasures to Heaven?
and rust cannot destroy or thieves do not break in and steal? Who is in
charge? That sounds like the Safe
Place I need. Now. I
wonder how much it costs. Could I buy it
in instalments? How much would it cost
to ship my treasures to Heaven?
One question at a
time, please. The answers are all in one
book, The Book, The Bible written by the inspired prophets of old. It tells about God – Who He is and how
Awesome He is and that God loves us. What
are the most important things that we want a Safe Place from? I can think
of three that plague us:
time, please. The answers are all in one
book, The Book, The Bible written by the inspired prophets of old. It tells about God – Who He is and how
Awesome He is and that God loves us. What
are the most important things that we want a Safe Place from? I can think
of three that plague us:
Hunger and Thirst
God blesses those who hunger and
thirst for justice, for
they will be satisfied. Matthew 5:6
thirst for justice, for
they will be satisfied. Matthew 5:6
Shame and Guilt
And now, dear children, remain in fellowship
with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink
back from him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also
know that all who do what is right are God’s children. I John 2:28-29
with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink
back from him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also
know that all who do what is right are God’s children. I John 2:28-29
Fear and Death
God is love, and all who live in love live in
God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we
will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence
because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect
love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this
shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us
first. I John 4:16b-19
God is love, and all who live in love live in
God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we
will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence
because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect
love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this
shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us
first. I John 4:16b-19
God gives us a way to
worship Him, to love Him, and keep us in His Safe Place. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has
planted eternity in
the human heart, but even
so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11
worship Him, to love Him, and keep us in His Safe Place. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has
planted eternity in
the human heart, but even
so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11
Who is this God? How can we know that He is near? One of the Psalms, 29:3-9, makes it so clear
that He is near:
that He is near:
The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The
God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea.
The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of
the Lord splits the
mighty cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of
Lebanon. He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf; he
makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord strikes with
bolts of lightning. The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness
quake; the Lord shakes
the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and
strips the forests bare. In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”
God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea.
The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of
the Lord splits the
mighty cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of
Lebanon. He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf; he
makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord strikes with
bolts of lightning. The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness
quake; the Lord shakes
the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and
strips the forests bare. In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”
The last two verses of
the same Psalm, 10-11, describes our Safe
Place with our Lord and Savior. The Lord rules over the flood
waters. The Lord reigns
as king forever. The Lord gives
his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.
the same Psalm, 10-11, describes our Safe
Place with our Lord and Savior. The Lord rules over the flood
waters. The Lord reigns
as king forever. The Lord gives
his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.
As
a wise person once told me, “Whether we are in heaven or here on this
earth, the safe place to be is in God’s arms. He holds us, comforts us,
encourages us, strengthens us, fills us with hope, joy, peace, and gives us the
courage to move forward.”
a wise person once told me, “Whether we are in heaven or here on this
earth, the safe place to be is in God’s arms. He holds us, comforts us,
encourages us, strengthens us, fills us with hope, joy, peace, and gives us the
courage to move forward.”
Comments? eacombs@att.net