Is there a light on near you? Look at it. Feel the heat coming from it. See its blinding brightness—how this tiny thing can light up a room. Now imagine a small warehouse full of nothing but lightbulbs shining, lining its shelves from top to bottom—this is like the brightness of a single bolt of lighting.

Lightning is a striking display of raw power in nature, stunning and destructive. People need to protect themselves from lightning. Many cultures throughout history feared lightning as a god.

Sometimes, we say, sudden events strike us like lightning. A sudden death or accident or ­disaster—even an overwhelming temptation—can grip us like a bolt from the blue. When that happens, where can we find a place of protection and safety? What is so powerful, so firm, to keep us safe from the outpouring of danger and destruction?

The Lord is our refuge, our fortress, our rock. This is a common theme in the psalms. The world and all the forces of evil cannot approach or destroy the safety we have in God. Whatever comes at you, God holds you in peace—safe and close in his care.