Stay Under The Canopy
Word-Of-The-Day: ‘(5) Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a Canopy. (6) It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.’ (Isaiah 4:5-6)
When I read this passage, I thought of a local HVAC company’s slogan: ‘No matter what the weather, <the ‘Canopy’> will make it better!’ The ‘Canopy’ Isaiah is referencing in Isaiah 4 is Jesus! Isaiah prophesizes Jesus’ 1st coming as the Savior to the Jewish people, becoming their ‘strong tower’ (Psalm 61:3) to gain refuge from evil and its destruction.
How does a ‘canopy’ work in this regard? For a canopy, think ‘carport’ or ‘awning’. It keeps the sun and the rain from beating down on a vehicle under it; it protects it from the harshest effects of either situation. People can also be protected under a canopy from these conditions; many people carry portable canopies (aka umbrellas) to keep the heaviest of rains from drenching them. A canopy (or umbrella) may not keep one completely dry or may not negate all of the sun’s effects (it can still be warm under a canopy), but it mitigates the effects by greatly minimizing those effects. Likewise, Jesus can mitigate the storms (both literal storms and the storms we face in life) by protecting us from most of their effects. We may not escape unscathed, but with Him we navigate through what we face and its aftermath.
Unlike a canopy, though, Jesus can become our ‘Strong Tower’, a shelter that stands tall and impenetrable from the worst of evil. Jesus may allow us to be affected by mortal dangers; the persecution of Christians by the Romans or more recently the damage caused by Ian is something allowed to pass. The Strong Tower is what Jesus provides for our Salvation; regardless of physical destruction our eternal embodiment (our ‘soul’) is sealed by Jesus through His sacrifice and our acceptance of Him as our worthy King. This protection comes through as our Joy in Him; we are content and satisfied that in the storms we will overcome them.
As we face yet another hurricane season, and as our lives face the inevitable challenges of death, illness, and tragedies both big and small; remember like a canopy Jesus has you covered, and your Eternity is locked in the security of His Strong Tower, if you have accepted Him as Lord and Savior! There will always be storms. The Good News is we can weather the storms if we have a firm foundation to stand upon. We have that in our Lord, Jesus Christ.
With Him, He can get us through the storms, either by navigating us through them, walking with us so that we are not alone, or He can mitigate the storm or even stop it in its tracks. Keep in contact with Him, through continual and earnest prayer. Let Him provide you strength and encouragement through His Scriptures, and through the Fellowship of others who can walk with you. You are never alone and covered in any storm with Jesus!
