Thoughts for the Day

Assurance of God’s Protection.

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.’
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence;
he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
or the arrow that flies by day,
or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
or the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
the Most High your dwelling-place,
no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder,
the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honour them.
With long life I will satisfy them,
and show them my salvation.

* Psalm 91 was actually set for yesterday.

(New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Do you remember a time when you were a small child and you thought your 'big person' (parent or carer) could sort everything out. They could repair a broken toy; bandage a hurt arm or leg; or fix the flat tyre on a bike. However, the day came when the gas filled balloon you had been holding became detached from your hand and flew up into the sky, and they couldn't fetch it back! Reality began to set in, as you discovered that your big person couldn't sort everything out. They were unfortunately fallible.

Psalm 91 says that no matter what happens, God is with us. Look at the number of words used to indicate God's protection - there are in bold! One image I particularly like is summed up in the word "pinions". They are the flight feathers of a bird. The image is of a bird's wing, and in particular those parts from which our predecessors used to make quills. The eagle, for instance, is a bird of great power with strong talons, but it will protect its young under its wings. In the same way God will shelter all his people from danger under the shadow of his wings.

Psalm 91 says that God is with us in that moment of danger; or when we have night terrors; or when illness strikes us, or a loved one. It also says He will rescue us from these perils, though it doesn't say that He will always remove them from us. His plans may be different to ours, and He may well decide to call us home to be with Him.

↠ Think about this: Whatever perils you face, God is with you, and He will rescue you when the time is right!

Lord God,
sometimes we seem to stumble
from disaster to disaster,
and illness; accident;
or problems with work, family or friends
come fast upon us,
so that we feel as though we cannot escape.
Help us to stay close to You at such times,
in the assurance that no matter how hard life gets
You will rescue us wen the time is right.
Amen.