by Rhonda Rhea @RhondaRhea

“My life flashed before my eyes.” 

I don’t guess I’ve ever been in such mortal danger that I’ve been able to say that sentence in a legit way. But I have to admit, parts of me would be interested in watching my life-flash movie. At least the blooper reel. I’d watch that.

I wonder. If my life ever does flash before my eyes, are we all in agreement that it would probably be a sitcom?

Whatever movie genre, I like to force myself now and again to look at the plot of my life story. Like, what my life is really about. When I look plot-ward, do I see substance? Something worth living for? Something worth dying for? 

David was known for being a man after God’s own heart. Not because he had a perfect story. As a matter of fact, the sins he committed are still considered “the biggies.” No doubt big parts of his life-flash would’ve been anything but pretty. 

So it wasn’t David’s sinlessness that won him the title of God’s heart guy. It was more about where he ultimately kept his priorities. “One thing I have asked of the Lord, and that I will seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, To gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the Lord And to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me upon a rock” (Psalm 27:4-5 AMP).

The overarching storyline of David’s life is an ultimate, all-consuming desire to live in God’s presence. To delight in Him. To meditate on Him. To seek that every single day.

When delighting in His presence becomes the one thing we seek the very most—when it becomes what our life story is all about—we find ourselves living in a rock-solid kind of safety we can know in no other place. Where does He hide us? In His tent—His sanctuary. His safe place. Is there any place safer than this, our very Creator’s special place of loving shelter?

Living in that safe place doesn’t mean we won’t experience difficulty. But it does mean there is no difficulty or danger, near-death or otherwise, that can threaten our real security. Our souls are eternally safely nestled away in our Father’s protection. It’s the place of no worries. The next verse in The Message refers to it as “out of reach of all my enemies” (Psalm 27:6 MSG). 

Our Father will never allow anything to happen to us that’s not for our ultimate good. Nothing. Your worst enemies’ plots against you? You can walk out on that nonsense show. Their schemes are nothing when compared to the God who holds you, loves you, and protects you. “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6, NIV) Even in painful places, never doubt His presence, His love, and His eternal provision for you.

That’s our story, friends. As we keep our eyes on Him, any life-flash moments might just turn into a movie we’ll enjoy watching. As for me, I think I might like to watch with popcorn, a Diet Dr. Pepper, and a big box of Junior Mints. Roll film.

Rhonda Rhea is an award-winning humor columnist for great magazines such as HomeLife, Leading Hearts, The Pathway, and many more. She is the author of 19 books, including the popular romantic comedies co-authored with her daughter Kaley Rhea, Off-Script & Over-Caffeinated and Turtles in the Road. Rhonda and Kaley have also teamed up with Bridges TV host Monica Schmelter for the Messy to Meaningful books and TV projects. Along with Beth Duewel, Rhonda writes the Fix Her Upper series, and she also co-authored Unruffled: Thriving in Chaos with Edie Melson. She speaks at conferences and events from coast to coast, serves on many boards and committees, and stays busy as a publishing consultant. Rhonda says you can find her living near St. Louis drinking too much coffee and snort-laughing with her pastor/husband, five grown children, and a growing collection of the most exceptional grandbabies.