18th. May. 2022. Daily Devotion.
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Psalm 91:1-2
If you know how big and scary and difficult the world is, this psalm is for you. These are words of comfort: God is our shelter; God will cover us with his feathers spread wide, and under God’s wings we will find refuge.
Birds do that by instinct; they see a threat and spread their wings, forming a canopy of protection. Their offspring run for cover and huddle there until the danger passes.
Reflecting on the relationship between God and ourselves, the psalmist says God will protect us in a way like that. We can find refuge under his wings. Surely God will shield and protect us.
But it also happens that sometimes a threat doesn’t pass us by, and we don’t feel protected at all.
The promise is not that pain and tragedy will magically flow around us, but that ultimately nothing can separate us from the reach of our God’s arms, from his love.
We live “in the shelter of the Most High”; we rest and find comfort “in the shadow of the Almighty.” We do not fear because the all-powerful God of heaven and earth is here with us, walking alongside and in front of us and behind us, as a mother hen who will never abandon her young.
We’re safe in God’s care, and he is always with us. T Leunk.
Lord God, protect and shelter us, we pray. Gather us un-der your wings and shield us. Be our refuge in every storm of life. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Prayer of Penitence
Almighty Father; I enter your presence confessing the things I try to conceal from you and the things I try to conceal from others. I confess the heartbreak, worry, and sorrow I have caused, that make it difficult for others to forgive me, the times I have made it easy for others to do wrong, the harm I have done that makes it hard for me to forgive myself. Lord have mercy and forgive me, in the name of my Lord Christ, by your grace and love; and help me to grow in faith, that I might not repeat these sins. Amen.
May we never feel forsaken, O Lord, whether in the quietness of our resting, in the storms of the day, in the cares of the world or in the journey of life. Amen. Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
For the refugee, ‘displaced’, afraid, and homeless; for the ‘unplaced’ child in care, longing for a new foster home; for the elderly dementia sufferer, with ‘misplaced’ words and straying thoughts; for the ‘placeless’ young person alone on the streets, all family ties broken; for the ‘out of place’ folks who don’t seem to fit in with society or even themselves; and for those now ‘replaced’, no longer needed for whatever reason. Lord, we thank you that we are all your children and that, whoever we are, and whatever our circumstances, there is a place in your kingdom of love for us all. Amen.