Have you ever felt the scorching heat of a hot summer day, or listened to the roar of a giant storm outside?
I have… in the last week!
Arizona summers always baffle me.
I’ve lived here for eight years now, and most of the summer is marked by heat.
Like, extreme heat.
That sweat-dripping-down-your-back, blindingly bright, oppressive heat of the summer.
One of my favorite feelings is walking into my air-conditioned house and feeling that dramatic difference.
And then every once in a while (although this summer, more than usual), a monsoon moves through the desert.
Often without warning, high winds, thick dust storms, pounding rain, roaring thunder and constant lightning crash through the valley.
Trampolines and trees everywhere, roads flooded.
Just a few days ago, I sat inside my home as a monsoon roared through, filled with gratitude for walls, windows, and roofs that were strong enough to hold the danger outside.
I couldn’t help but notice the familiarity of these two phrases that Isaiah writes about the Lord:
“For thou hast been … a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat”. (Isaiah 25:4)
A refuge from the storm.
There are some summer monsoons that are small, and some that are destructive and deadly.
But He is there as a refuge during those storms.
Giving me peace to endure. Peace with whatever the outcome is. Peace when everything else is chaotic.
And He’s a shadow from the heat.
That oppressive, all-encompassing uncomfortable heat.
He has been that relief. Making my load feel a little lighter. Giving me comfort.
And yet my mortal mind still forgets to turn to Him sometimes.
I’ll be out wandering in the intense heat, or trying to endure a powerful storm, and I forget to ask for help.
I forget that He is the refuge and the shadow that my soul so desperately needs.
But as soon… AS SOON as I remember Him, that protection and that relief is there.
He is my refuge and my shadow.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
