Note: There is a link to today's worship service at the bottom of this email.
Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place… - Psalm 91:9
Psalm 91 gives us God's assurance of protection and care in the midst of danger. It is a comforting thought that we can rest in the shadow of the Almighty and that under his wings we can find refuge. – Dan Biggerstaff
Psalm 91 has long been shared as a prayer of protection for those who need it, who believe in the shelter that is found in the wings of almighty God. I know this psalm has been prayed over-and-over again by faithful mothers, as their babies leave in the nest, or just out driving in the car. It is a cry of faith that the Lord will protect us.
I, myself, have claimed this prayer a number of times, knowing that I needed the Lord’s protection from bad weather, or dangerous travel. Yet, I also use common sense and do my best to avoid dangerous situations.
Recently people are claiming Psalm 91 verse 3 or 6 that keep us safe from pestilence or “deadly disease.” While I agree God does keep the faithful safe, God also gave us a mind and reason, and we should use them. It’s for this reason we should understand that God is keeping us safe, and we are safest while we practice our social distance.
All that being said, I quoted above the 9th verse of this Psalm because here, we find what truly is the place of protection. It is when we also the Lord to be our refuge or “stronghold” when we dwell in the place where the Most High dwells. Reading this reminds me of another Psalm, the 84th that says: “better is one day in your house than a thousand elsewhere.” I’ll confess it took me longer than it should to realize, but even as we shelter in place, even as we are separated into our own homes, we still have access to the dwelling place of God.
God dwells within, the promise of the Holy Spirit, is that God is with us, for those of us who are with our families as we share in a time of online worship this morning (we are 2 or more) God is there. Yet, for those of us who may be alone. I hold the promise of James 4:8: “draw near to God and he will draw near to you…” God is our refuge, and in this time of worship, though shared at a distance, we are, together, in the dwelling place of the Lord.
I’ll close with another word of encouragement:
Be flexible, Learning this the hard way! – Ann Tipton
May God bless our time of worship this morning,
Pastor Sam
Today's 10:30am worhship service can be found here: https://www.stmarkknox.org/sermons