Thank you for sharing this early moment of your day with me, with God, and with the thoughts and words of this reading that I hope you will carry with you throughout the coming day and night.
Today’s Scripture:
Psalm 91
Assurance of God’s Protection
1 You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,[a]
2 will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence;
4 he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
or the arrow that flies by day,
6 or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge,[b]
the Most High your dwelling place,
10 no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder,
the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
14 Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
15 When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honor them.
16 With long life I will satisfy them,
and show them my salvation.
Tim’s Devotional Reflection for Today
We know from personal experience and observation that being a person of faith does not mean that nothing bad will happen to you. We see that natural disasters and pandemics affect people of faith as well as those with no faith.
So, how are we to understand the psalmist’s words? When I read Psalm 91, I think of God’s presence and grace in every time of trouble, rather than protection from “deadly pestilence” or tragedy. The opening words of the psalm express it this way: “You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.” The 46th Psalm uses similar words:
God is our refuge and strength,
a help always near in times of great trouble.
That’s why we won’t be afraid when the world falls apart,
when the mountains crumble into the center of the sea,
when its waters roar and rage,
when the mountains shake because of its surging waves.
So, the good news of our faith is that God is present with us always to give us the strength we need to face what comes our way—even a deadly pestilence.
Years ago, a friend shared a paraphrase of Psalm 91 written by Steve Ganaas-Holmes and published on his website unfoldinglight.net:
If you totally trust God, you’re already in heaven. You’re inside God and nobody can take you out.
God stands between you and what scares you, between you and all the dangers. Like a mother bear, she’s got your back, something serious. Don’t worry. Spend no fear on the terrorist from afar, or the cancer from within, the fretting that wakes you in the night, or the bridge you know will collapse.
Yes, suffering closes in around you at times, and tragedy walks your neighborhood. But that is not the title of your story, not your end. Learn to see with clear eyes how love never loses. When you live inside the Beloved, and the world is a house that is God, evil can’t define you, can’t change you, can’t find you at all.
The Creator of the world fills it with those who bear her love to you. They hold you in their invisible arms, they secretly catch you when you fall.
So stand up to what overpowers, don’t flinch from what scares you. You will meet monsters, learn their names and tame them with love.
Love says, “Here. Come settle in my heart. Nothing can take you from me. When your soul cries out, don’t worry – I’m already holding you. In your worst trouble, I’m with you. I set you free. I Honor you. I give you the joy of life lived deeply.
You will shine in me forever.
There is a lot of theology woven into hymns. To enhance today’s reading, I recommend listening to “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”. I hope you will take a few moments to let the words of this message and the emotion that always connects us to music connect with your soul. I am so grateful for you, for our church, and for the Love that will see us all through this very difficult time. Please stay safe and well and we’ll be together again in spirit tomorrow morning!
Grace and Peace,
Dr. Tim Bruster
Senior Pastor
