Bible Reading: Psalm 62:5-8

Landon listened as the woman on TV reported that temperatures had dropped to a record-breaking low with a strong wind. "Can we still go for our breakfast tomorrow?" he asked. For him, the best part of celebrating the new year was having breakfast with his dad on New Year's Day. Each year, they'd get up at dawn, load backpacks with supplies, and walk through the snow to a nearby lake where they would start a fire and cook their food.

"It will be an adventure--a really cold one!" said Dad. "But let's do it."

Early the next morning, they dressed in several layers of warm clothes and headed for the lake. Wind whipped the snow all around, stinging Landon's cheeks. When they finally made it to the rocky lakeshore, Landon was freezing. "Maybe we shouldn't have come," he yelled to his father over the sound of the wind.

"We'll be okay," Dad assured him. "Head for those huge boulders over there."

Behind a towering rock, Landon instantly felt warmer. Within minutes, they had a fire going, and he began to warm up even more. "I can hardly feel the wind here," said Landon.

"I know," said Dad as he turned bacon in the frying pan. "We can hear it blowing all around us, but the rocks protect us from most of its effects." He cracked some eggs into the pan. "This huge rock is a good picture of what the Bible means when it says God is our Rock. He saved us from sin and gives shelter and protection, and we can trust Him even though there's chaos all around."

"My teacher at church said something like that," said Landon. "But I didn't really know what it meant until now."

Dad put the bacon and eggs on their plates, and Landon poured hot chocolate out of the thermos. "I'm glad we came," Landon said, "but I'd hate to be out here very long without this rock to shelter us."

"Me too," said Dad. "And I'd hate to be in this world without God, our Rock, to shelter me. He sent His own Son to die in our place so we could be His children, and when life's storms are raging, He surrounds us with the protection of His love, hope, and peace."

–Lyndel F. Walker

How About You?
Have you ever stood behind a big rock to get out of the wind? Rocks can protect you in many ways, and the Bible says God is a Rock for His children. Remember that Jesus gave His life for you and is with you during storms in your life--the difficult experiences you sometimes have to face. Trust Him to help you through them as you take shelter in the peace and comfort of His presence.

Today's Key Verse:
He [God] only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. (NKJV) (Psalm 62:6)

Today's Key Thought:
God shelters His children