Good morning! I hope this day finds you and your family well, and I want you to know that you are in my prayers daily during this difficult time.
I invite you to take a few moments with me to reflect on today’s Upper Room Devotional below — as well as on the theology woven into “It is well with my soul.”
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.
Tim’s Devotional Reflection for Today
Reverend Steve Garnaas-Holmes wrote a paraphrase of Psalm 91 that I find helpful in my own spiritual walk. I share it with you for your own reflection:
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.
Thank you for sharing this early moment of your day with me, with God, and with the words and music that I hope you will carry with you throughout the coming day and night.
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
