Friday, February 15, 2013 Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Julie
Wilson
I
had never read this psalm before agreeing to write a Lenten devotion, so I
wasn’t sure what to expect. The writer
begins the psalm with the calming invocation:
“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.’” Ahh – a peaceful psalm. I relaxed my shoulders, ready for a
poem. That is not what follows. The psalm quickly turns very Old Testament,
complete with references to pestilence, destruction, scourge and
wickedness. After naming all of the
evils around him (and there are a lot), the psalmist asks God for protection
from foes – seen and unseen. And, after
the litany of evils and fears listed, who wouldn’t?
The
happy ending you were looking for? The
petition is answered – with a condition.
The protection is granted because
the Lord is the psalmist’s refuge. In
this psalm, God promises deliverance to those who love Him, protection for
those who know his name, an answer when called, comfort in times of trouble,
rescue, honor, long lives and salvation.
All of that is received in exchange for loving God. It’s a pure illustration of God’s grace and the
enormous gifts we receive in exchange for a seemingly small promise to love,
honor and abide with God.
God’s
protection is not granted because the psalmist gave up sweets or cheese or
cursing or video games. It’s been fun
dinnertime conversation to talk about what would be hard to give up for Lent
(Tom: ESPN, Julie: coffee, Ferrell: peanut butter). Though Tom and I explain that we don’t
observe the practice, it does make me think about how I show my love for God. Why am I not better at thinking about the
fact that God gave us His son so that we have eternal life? How am I honoring Him? Do I need the rigors of giving up something
enjoyable to remind me to love God?
Though
it’s self-serving, my answer is no. The
very grace that is freely given is the grace that should be received
gratefully. I’ll continue my walk and
search, remembering that I do need to keep up my end of the bargain to love and
honor God and that He’ll keep up his end of the bargain, too – regardless of my
certain failures. Now, that’s refuge.
Prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of your
grace. Thank you for the gift of your
son, which makes all things possible.
Your love is the most certain thing I know – even when I act like I
forget. Amen
Daily
Challenge: Remember that God offers unconditional refuge and protection even
when it doesn’t seem to be deserved or earned.
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