Shut In with God
Genesis 7:16 – “…and the Lord shut him in.”
When the Lord was about to send a great flood upon the earth to wipe out its wicked inhabitants, He invited Noah and his family into the ark and locked the door. Had He not done so, the powerful giants who lived at that time would certainly have invaded that small craft with perhaps dire consequences for all concerned. By being confined in the ark, Noah and the whole human race were preserved. He became a “shut-in,” not through God’s disfavor, but rather because he had found “grace in the eyes of the Lord.” The same is true of many shut-ins today; the Lord has called them aside, not to shatter their dreams, but to work out His wise design for their lives and bring them special blessings.
Here is a bit of poetry which I think is especially appropriate for those who have been temporarily laid aside:
“Shut-in – I never liked the word; it held a plaintive note,
Until a very different view I got from what one shut-in wrote.
‘Shut-in?’ She said, “O yes indeed!! Shut in from the noise and strife,
But shut out too are many things that cluttered up my life.
Shut in are peace and faith and hope; shut out are fear and doubt.
Shut in are words and deeds of cheer no heart can do without.”
Shut in – Why “tis a blessed word! My soul will one day come on
happy feet to Heaven’s door and be shut in with God!”
While you may feel hemmed in by your present restricted circumstance, the Savior has a wise purpose in it all. Be patient, therefore, and remember, “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.”