When the black dogs of death
snarl and snap at my flesh,
you shield me under
your tent of blue sky.
You shelter me.
Death cannot find me.
When the whirlwind of
evil seeks to destroy me,
you shelter me.
Evil cannot find me.
When conflict seeks
to enslave me,
you shelter me.
Conflict cannot find me.
–Terry Chitwood
Conflict
These verses were inspired by parts of Psalm 27. Although conflict is inevitable in life, God protects us from its harmful effects. Conflict unmitigated leads to wars: between nations, in families, and in ourselves. Peace begins in our souls and ripples outwards, calming conflicts by dousing eruptions of anger with love.
Death
We all die. So when death stalks us in the night, there is reason to be afraid. We worry, “Is it my time/” Or is an ego death required? Old attitudes and worldviews need to die periodically for new growth to flourish. God shelters us from the fear of an untimely death, gifting us with total acceptance of His will.
Evil
Evil slinks through the cracks in our consciousness, stealing our happiness, poisoning our prayers, and trampling our dreams. Evil shrieks when we seek shelter in God. For God is our only protection from the nefarious powers of evil. When we take shelter in God we defeat evil’s plans for destroying our lives.
Photo Credit: Photo by Karol Kozlowski
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