Not sure what you think about when you hear "Shelter" but for this entire week here in Mexico for our 2nd high school mission trip this summer we are studying "Shelter".

Every morning the group goes through a devotional that walks them through different thoughts about 'Shelter'.One this trip our group gets to work on people's physical shelter while God expands their view of the more abstract form of Shelter.  If you would pray that God would expand our view of 'shelter' both literally and metaphorically.

Here are some thoughts from today:

1. How often do we ask God for provision without having spend ourselves on anyone but ourselves?
2. A life of compassionate service is a hallmark of the Christian faith.
3. Before we ask a leader, an author, a church, a professor, or a prospective date about their theology, or their position on the end times...we should watch their life.  And they should be watching ours.
4. God is quite clear, in the passage Isaiah 58:3-12, that an overtly spiritual discipline like fasting (which has tremendous value) is not the only thing he is after.  We can articulate complicated spiritual principles but if there is no action on our part, we have failed.
5. Whether or not Isaiah 58 challenges you to build a literal shelter for someone who needs it, or it asks you to shelter the family member, friend, annoying co-worker, new neighbor who you find difficult, the result is always an authentic, relevant faith, and a fresh encounter with a God who replenishes our poured out spirits.

(This devo today was written by Beth Guckenberger.  Director of Mexico Back2Back)