I happened to get an earlier start on my walk than usual the other day. The sun was beginning to break through a thick fog and all of the spider webs along the fence line stood out, little drops of dew weighing heavily on their delicate little spindles.
This one, in particular, caught my eye. I noticed how it was placed between 2 lines of barbed wire. The barbed wire reminded me of the evil and wickedness that is so present in this world and yet somehow this mama spider decided that she wouldn’t be afraid to build her home there. She would raise her babies and create a safe place where they were well fed and cared for in spite of the barbed wire just a few inches above and beneath her home, a place of refuge in the midst of the harshness.
It made me think of how Jesus brings redemption to our lives and with it, beauty and truth, and how as believers our families actually live in covenant with God. We are covenant families living out the beauty and truths of God in the midst of wickedness.
I thought of how He reveals Himself in the scriptures and how faith is acting on what God has revealed about his will and character.
I read Psalm 147 today and even that short Psalm revealed so much about His will and character: That God attends to every detail in nature because all of it belongs to him (v. 4,5), that His power is absolute and He measures out justice (v.6). He is not impressed by human achievements but takes pleasure in those who seek Him (v.7-11). He blesses His people by empowering them with safety, prosperity, peace, and provision(v. 13). He can change the season by simply speaking (v.15-18) and He has given His words so we can know how to obey Him (v.19,20). We aren’t left without direction.
Each day, we have the opportunity to instill these truths into our children: when we get up, lie down, and walk along the way. (Deuteronomy 6:6,7) We try to model it in our everyday lives and by doing so we create a place of refuge that isn’t made of brick and mortar, but something much longer-lasting: a real and living faith that will provide a safe place for our kids no matter where they are.