"For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, like heat in a dry place." -- Isaiah 25:4-5

For most kids with a healthy family there is no fear of being hungry, homeless or harassed by the school bully. They learn early on that their parents and siblings will always be there for them when the going gets tough. No matter what life may throw at them, they have a hiding place.

As the enemy presses in upon God's people, and the fortified city becomes a ruin, Isaiah sees the Lord as a stronghold. For the righteous of Isaiah's day and time yet to come, there is always a stronghold for the poor and the needy. There will always be a shelter from the storms of hardship and a shade from the heat of persecution. Our Heavenly Father will always protect and provide for his children. He is our hiding place.

Where do you go when the world presses in my friend? Do you have a place to run when there seems to be no place to turn? Well, Isaiah has a word of encouragement for you today. You have a Father who cares for you in every circumstance and He is your stronghold, shelter and shade. Consider what David said of the Lord in Psalm 32:7, "You are a hiding place for me: you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah"