Sheltering In Place – Part II

Sheltering in Place – Part II

In Part I, ( https://immanuelpracticum.com/book/sheltering-in-place-part-i/  ), I talked about the Israelites experience of sheltering in place as God protected them and prepared them for what was to come.  In Part II I am looking at a New Testament example.

Why Shelter in Place?!!?

Acts 1:4-8, 12-14

In Acts1, Jesus was on the precipice of ascending to heaven.  He commanded His disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came.  As I read that passage, I thought about my five points again from the Part I.  Once again, try to apply this to your current situation.  It overlays nicely…

  1. There was a reason for it.  It was for their good.  God was separating them out from the world.  He was also teaching them obedience and to exercise their waiting muscles.  Maybe this was an opportunity for them to rest after all they had been through. There was also certainly an emphasis on the disciples praying.
  2. There was a determined end to them staying inside.  This one is more applicable to our situation.  The Israelites had a determined time they had to wait.  These disciples had an open ended / unknown end.  The only thing they were told was it was coming to an end at some point.  When the Holy Spirit came.  Jesus also told them in 1:8 that there was work for them to do.  They were going to be His mouthpieces to the world.
  3. There was something miraculous happening outside those locked doors.  In the spirit, God was working.  Ordering every moment preparing for the arrival of the Holy Spirit.  Everything was perfectly timed.  People’s hearts were being prepared (unknowingly) for what was coming.
  4. There was something miraculous happening INSIDE those walls.  God was preparing them for what was to come. He was connecting and uniting them (in one accord).  He was teaching them to pray as one.  This is really the first official church meeting!
  5. There was a move of God about to happen.  Pentecost was coming!  Peter walked out of that time of sheltering in place and preached the greatest sermon ever preached up to that time.  On that day alone, God saved 3,000 souls from their bondage.

So, we are not alone.  Sheltering in place has biblical foundations.  The enemy is at work through this global panic.  But God has His reasons for our current circumstance.  He is protecting His people.  He is preparing us for now and what’s to come.  Most important, He is WITH us!  In Part III, I will talk about Sheltering In Place well.