Sheila Walsh - The Shelter of Gods Promises

THE
SHELTER
OF
GODS PROMISES

ALSO BY SHEILA WALSH

NONFICTION

Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God
Get Off Your Knees and Pray
God Has a Dream for Your Life
Let Go
All That Really Matters
Extraordinary Faith
Im Not Wonder Woman but God Made Me Wonderful
A Love So Big
Living Fearlessly
Stories from the River of Mercy
Stones from the River of Mercy
The Heartache No One Sees
Life Is Tough but God Is Faithful
Gifts for Your Soul
Honestly
Bring Back the Joy
Best Devotions of Sheila Walsh
Sparks in the Dark

FICTION

Angel Song (with Kathryn Cushman)

CHILDRENS BOOKS

Hello, Sun!
Hello, Stars!

Gods Little Princess series:
Sweet Dreams Princess
I Am Loved
Gods Little Princess Bible
A Gods Little Princess Treasury (Gigi)
The Pink Ballerina (Gigi)
The Purple Ponies (Gigi)
The Perfect Christmas Gift (Gigi)
The Royal Tea Party (Gigi)
Theres a Princess in Me (Gigi)
Gigi, Gods Little Princess

Gods Mighty Warrior series:
Goodnight Warrior
I Am Amazing
Will, Gods Mighty Warrior
The Creepy Caves Mystery
The Mystery of Magillicuddys Gold
Gods Mighty Warrior Devotional Bible

The Gnoo Zoo series:
In Search of the Great White Tiger
Chattaboongas Chilling Choice
Miss Marbless Marvelous Makeover
Einsteins Enormous Error
Big Billys Great Adventure

GIFT BOOKS

Gods Shelter in Your Storm
Outrageous Love
Come As You Are
Good Morning, Lord

COAUTHORED WOMEN
OF FAITH BOOKS

Women of Faith Devotional Bible
Discovering Gods Will for Your Life
The Great Adventure
Irrepressible Hope
Sensational Life
Time to Rejoice
Nothing Is Impossible
A Grand New Day
Infinite Grace
Contagious Joy
Laugh Out Loud
Amazing Freedom
The Women of Faith Daily Devotional
The Women of Faith Study Guide Series

THE
SHELTER
OF
GODS PROMISES

SHEILA WALSH

The Shelter of Gods Promises

2011 by Sheila Walsh

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotation in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Thomas Nelson, Inc. titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

All Scripture quotations are taken from HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Man of the Tombs 1989 Matters of the Heart Music (ASCAP). Words and music by Bob Bennett www.bobbennett.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Walsh, Sheila, 1956
The shelter of Gods promises / Sheila Walsh.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ).
ISBN 978-1-4002-0244-7
1. Christian womenReligious life. 2. God (Christianity)Promises. I. Title.
BV4527.W356 2011
248.843dc22
2010042293

Printed in the United States of America
11 12 13 14 15 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is dedicated to one of my most treasured
friends, Ney Bailey. I will be eternally grateful for
the multitude of ways that your life is a radiant
reminder of the promises of Christ to me.

CONTENTS

I am deeply grateful to the team that worked with me on this life-changing journey through the Word of God:

Brian Hampton, thank you for your leadership and vision.

Bryan Norman, you always give so much more than is asked, but this time you circled the earth twice! Thank you, Bryan.

Jeanette Thomason, thank you for pouring yourself wholeheartedly into this project.

Jennifer Stair, your careful attention to detail is such a gift.

Michael Hyatt and the entire team at Thomas Nelson, it is a privilege to be in such creative company.

Mary Graham and the Women of Faith family, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the platform to be able to share with thousands of women across the country about the love and grace of God.

Barry Walsh, I am so grateful to you for your heart for this book. You helped me every step of the way, and the finished project is so much stronger because of you. Thank you!

My deepest gratitude is to You, Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You that we can stake our lives on Your promises and find shelter for our lives in You.

Introduction
IN THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK
A Night Alone in the Storm

Then the Lord said, There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

EXODUS 33:2122

W hether its the Ritz Carlton or a Motel 6, every traveler knows the importance of finding shelter by nighta place to rest, to claim refuge from the day, and to greet the dawns promise and splendor of a new morning.

Even at age eighteen, I knew this.

So when my high school friends Linda and Moira and I boarded a train from our home in Ayr, on the west coast of Scotland, we carted an impressive collection of sleeping bags, backpacks, and tent gear for our all-girls camping trip. If you are thinking Girl Scouts, think more Beverly Hillbillies. Shelter would be on our minds by evening. First, we would change trains at Glasgow, with our destination Aviemore, the very center of Cairngorms National Park.

The Cairngorms, in the eastern Highlands of Scotland, consist of five of Scotlands tallest mountains, each beautiful and remote. They promised adventure, and I was excited to explore, hoping to spot a golden eagle or a snowy owl.

How I loved the idea of being an explorer. Growing up on the west coast of Scotland, I admired men and women who set off into the unknown, particularly those who lived to tell their stories. Seeing the craggy and wild Cairngorms, still ridged with ripples of snow, I thought, This wont be easy, this living to tell the tale. Living remained a tad more appealing though.

Linda, Moira, and I set off from the train, then, to trek into all-new territory. We decided to go easy that first night, hiking just three miles into the mountain range. The wildness of the place gave an ominous, unspoken warning that we should pitch our tents while there was enough daylight. Even from the train platform, wed been awed by the long-extended plateaus of Braeriach and the great massive slopes of the Cairngorm Mountains. Now, as we headed into and up the mountain, we were surrounded on all sides by shafts of sunlight intermittent with writhing mists and deep shadows in clefts shining and silvery with remnants of snow. Inner recesses revealed bleak cliffs, red granite slopes, and the rugged jaws of the mountain.

Before ascending, we found what looked to be a good place for tenting that night, then lit a small fire to boil some waterbecause even in the wild, we Scots need our tea. Before settling into our individual tents, I wanted to celebrate the beautiful night. I climbed to the highest vantage point to watch the sun set behind the mountains. Then I climbed back down to crawl into my sleeping bag, turned on my flashlight, and read one of my favorite psalms. Called a song of ascents, Psalm 121 seemed so very fitting: