Pilgrim Worship: Thursday Psalms: God is YOUR refuge!

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

Thursday Psalms:  God is YOUR refuge!

Fear and anxiety continue to grip us and the world around us, even as COVID-19 concerns are declining for many.  Still, wars, economic collapses and natural disasters continue to rage.  News of suffering swirls around the globe like the winds of a giant storm.  You and I fear the most when we control the least, and we control none of the issues which press upon us.  

Psalm 91 speaks to us today, encouraging us amid the storms of our lives.  God is our protection [vv 1-2], God is powerful over all dangers and problems in life [vv3-13] and God gives His promises to all who trust in Him [vv14-16].

PSALM 91
   1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
       will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
   2 I 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,
        nor the arrow that flies by day,
   6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
        nor 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 recompense of the wicked.
   9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
         the Most High, who is my refuge—
   10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
         no plague 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,
         lest you strike your foot against a stone.
   13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
          the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
   14 “Because he holds fast to Me in love, I will deliver him;
          I will protect him, because he knows My name.
   15 When he calls to Me, I will answer him;
          I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
   16 With long life I will satisfy him
          and show him My salvation.” 

But wait, you might be saying.  What about all those "He will..." statements?  What about the pestilence of cancer or COVID or dementia or...?  Why does it seem God is not doing this?

Here is the important distinction:  we who take refuge in the Lord are NOT exempt from these dangers, including COVID, cancer or any of the dangers which assault us.   However, God promises to protect us in the midst of them.  God will NOT allow dangers, threats, or diseases to separate us from Him, which is the terrible plight of "the wicked".  Your security comes from the promises God has already kept, the victories He has already won for you!  

Jesus not only resisted Satan's temptations, but He destroyed Satan once and for all, when He set us free by taking our punishment on the cross!  Even during dangerous times (...as though there are times which are not!), even when we are directly affected by the dangers around us, we remain confident in God's earthly & eternal protection!

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy, given to us in Jesus, Your Son.  Thank you for Your strength and security, which are far greater than anything in this perilous world.  Strengthen our faith in the face of all dangers, and make us bold to witness about You in these frightening days.  AMEN.