Our Sanctuary

 When I was younger, we called the worship center in our church the "sanctuary." That was unusual to me, because I knew about a bird sanctuary being a safe place for birds. I did not know why we would need a safe place for us at church to worship. After all, we had freedom of religion. I am still not sure where that all started. but it could be related to what the Lord told His people through the prophet Ezekiel. (Ezekiel 11:16) He told them that He had sent His people away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while, He was a sanctuary for them in the countries where they had gone. This is a profound truth for us today, as we live in this dark world.

What would you do if you found yourself in a strange country, where you did not know the language and the culture? I believe it would be a very scary time for most of us. Well, the truth is, that is where we are living now. We could feel left alone and even persecuted by the people around us. What we need to keep in mind is that the Lord is there for us. He is our Sanctuary. He is the One to whom we can run for any comfort or protection that we need at any time. He delights in taking care of His people, but sometimes, we don't let Him, because we try to do things on our own. Let's stop doing that. Also, let's remember that the church is our spiritual family. It is not a building or a service we have. It is brothers and sisters in Christ. When we get together for worship and study, the Lord is there with us. Therefore, we come to Him together as our Sanctuary then. He hears our prayers and feeds us His Word in the midst of the chaos and evil around us. So, let's remember that we have a very Special Sanctuary who loves us and is there for us all the time.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 12-14.