Craig Smith  Lord, You are my hiding place  The strength on which I stand  Your truth alone do I embrace  Not the wisdom of this land  You are the only resting place  From the perils of this sphere  Prince of Peace, the God of Grace  Keep me from the enemy's spear  Chorus  You are my fortress  Haven from the storm  Shield me with your faithfulness  Refuge of my soul  Though I'm in the midst of war  The enemy all around  If I gaze with the eyes of man  It seems I'm losing ground  But in the shadow of Your wings  A refuge I have found  A place where I find strengthening  And Your serenity abounds  Chorus  Concealed within Your shelter  In the troubled day  In Your secret place You hide me  You're my refuge  Chorus  The very nature of the world in its present condition, causes  tribulation (Matt 16:33), but even in the midst of enemy confrontation,  attack, and confusion, we are assured the Lord is in control and is our  place of refuge. Psalm 91:1,4 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most  High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. He will cover you with His  pinions and under His wings you will seek refuge, His faithfulness is a  shield and bulwark."--Craig Smith  " Thou art my hiding place; Thou doest preserve me from trouble." Psalm  32:7  "He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of  justice and H preserves the way of His godly ones." Proverbs 2:7,8  "...the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength  in times of trouble. And the Lord helps them and delivers them; He  delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge  in Him." Psalm 27:39-40  Several years ago, one of the worst tornadoes in our nation's history  swept a quarter-mile wide path of destruction, devastation, and death  through a town in the Southwest United States. The responses of the  people in that sudden onslaught of nature's killing force are  interesting to observe. Many were caught completely unaware. Some  were warned, but ignored it. Some, seeing the approach of the  threatening cloud, panicked and scrambled about unprotected. Many  were unprepared, having no knowledge of what to do or where to hide in  the midst of catastrophe.  But there were others who were prepared, though not knowing the time or  place of the storm. They were aware that where they dwelled there was  the potential of destructive tornadoes. They did not underestimate the  ability of the unleashed power of this world to kill, sweep their  possessions away, and destroy everything in its path (John 10:10). These  people recognized the threat, obtained knowledge of what to do and  where to seek protection, and remained ever alert to respond promptly  and with wisdom in the face of danger.  One group of people was at a bank when the tornado came on the horizon  with radios and sirens sounding the warnings. Choosing not to flee in  their automobiles, they entered the bank's vault and stepped out  unharmed. The bank building was demolished. Automobiles were  overturned. Everything unprotected was crushed, and those without  sufficient cover were killed.  Now, how should we view the potentiality of catastrophic happenings in  this life that we live? Should we not have an expectation that it could  happen? Should we not know that the Enemy of Gad, Satan, stalks about  seeking to kill us, steal away what God has given us, and destroy our  lives? Then we must also know that the Word of God is wisdom and  knowledge to those who will hear and receive His preparatory truth. He  has given His Holy Spirit to dwell in us to sound the alarm and give us  strength. We can know beforehand of dangers and pitfalls. We can know  how to respond in the face of threatening situations. We can know what  shields us and protects us. And, above all, we can know assuredly that  God the Father, Himself, is a stalwart Hiding Place; always close to us;  desirous to preserve us; strong enough to save us; and faithful as a  Refuge for us.  All of this is not to bring us to a tense existence always waiting for  the brink of calamity. Rather, the Word of God makes us able to rest in  the assurance of the Father's complete provision for us: "...he who  listens to Me (Wisdom) shall live securely and be at ease from the dread  of evil." (Proverbs 1:33) Will you choose to enter His security and rest?  You must walk and live in the reality of your salvation through the  blood of Jesus Christ, your spiritual sustenance through the indwelling  power of His Spirit, and your ever-present Refuge in the arms of the  loving and eternal Father, God.  A brief word to those who may have already suffered tragedy and  destruction when perhaps you were unknowing and unprepared. This same  God who is your Refuge is also a God of healing and restoration. Turn to  Him. Confess any sin of ignorance or rebellion to Him. Remove the  rubble of previous hurts by forgiving all who were involved (including  yourself). Allow God to rebuild your life. Like Paul, "...forgetting what  lies behind and reach forward to what lies ahead...press on toward the  goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 3:13,14) If this is your situation, you may pray this prayer:  Heavenly Father, remove the scales from my spiritual eyes that I might  see the safety and security of Your Refuge for me. In Jesus' Name, I  cast down all fear of the future, and I stand on the promises of Your  Word. Holy Spirit, teach me and give me understanding of my inheritance  in Christ Jesus. Teach me of my Refuge. I will rest in Your Word. Amen.--  Steve Swift