Seeking Shelter.

It's that time of year when practically every insect and spider on the outside of the house is scheming how to get inside the house. In the last week, we have noticed an increase in spiders walking across countertops and carpeted floors. Just the other night, I walked into a darkened kitchen area and heard the distinct chirp of a cricket.

Crisper cooler temperatures tend to spur something inside God's creation. Their inner sense of changing seasons and the impending beginning of winter drives them to explore every crack and crevice that leads to a warm interior shelter.

We aren't much different. There comes a time in our life when we sense changes are just around the corner. Generally, when strife enters our world, it is not unusual to begin searching for any entrance into a better place. I personally have seen countless folks enter into church sanctuaries after a long hiatus and more often than not their decision was predicated upon some upheaval in their lives.

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the

LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the

swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar, O LORD

Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising

you. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass

through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They

go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty;

listen to me, O God of Jacob. Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Better is

one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my

God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor

and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty,

blessed is the man who trusts in you. (Psalm 84, NIV)

The writer of this Psalm appreciated the security and assurance offered through close contact with God and the house of the Lord. References to sparrows and swallows brings the image closer to us. Whether you have spiders crawling across your countertops or crickets chirping under the range, rest assured our God provides security for us even more than the creepy crawly things. Seek to be near God's love and mercy on a daily basis and see if your peace meter doesn't register full more regularly.

"Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the

LORD through which the righteous may enter. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have

become my salvation. (Psalm 118:19-21, NIV)