“A sheltering presence”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Saturday, August 24, 2024
Psalm 91 (Forward, p. 26) CEV p. 612
In a world that seems fraught with all the more natural disasters, it is wise to be forewarned, to think ahead, and to prepare by making plans for shelter. But this is easier said that done. Experts suggest that in the case of a tornado it is best to find a basement location away from doors or windows, or in the case of a hurricane, simply to get away from a danger zone. However, if you’re in a mobile home, that first piece of advice doesn’t work very well. And, as happens all too often with tornados, you don’t even hear about it, all the ‘best laid plans of mice and men’ don’t help very much. The same goes for flash floods, landslides, forest fires or tsunamis, if you don’t have enough warning.
In today’s psalm we hear about shelters, and here the image is both comforting and intimate. It is the image of a mother bird protecting her young, “He will spread his wings over you and keep you safe” (verse 4). However, that safety and protection is only as good as the mother bird. If something was to befall her, our sheltering presence would come to naught.
However, the sheltering presence that our psalm speaks of has no such limitations, for it is none other than Almighty God. God isn’t finite or limited as is a mother bird. He will be there forever, and nothing can thwart or impede His plans. And here our psalmist is quite definite concerning the kinds of things God can shelter us from: secret traps--unspecified, deadly diseases, night dangers, daytime disasters, widespread deaths around us, lions or poisonous snakes, and troubles of any and every sort. It is a pretty comprehensive list. And, if this is not enough, God will even marshal His angels to protect us and carry us.
This said, it doesn’t presume or assure us that we will never run into danger or trouble, only that God will be there to help and guide us through them. And, if doesn’t state that we can purposely or needlessly flirt with danger or presume upon God’s protection should we act recklessly. It was exactly that very thing that Jesus reproved Satan over when Satan quoted this verse (see Matthew 4:6-7): “Don’t try to test the Lord your God.”
Nevertheless, it is wonderfully comforting and helpful to know that God is aware of our problems and is there to help us through them no matter what. Thanks be to God. Amen
Forward notes: “You are my refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I put my trust” (verse 2).
“A refuge is a shelter or protection from danger. For most of us, our home is the place where we feel protected and take refuge.
“I remember fondly my little dorm room at a mission in Costa Rica that measured 6 feet by 10 feet. At first, I was alarmed by its sparsity, but soon it became my sanctuary. As with many properties in Central America, the compound I lived in was walled and guarded. I was comforted by the friendly guards. They held the keys and kept watch all night. I trusted them. And at the end of four months, I went home.
“A refugee is a person who flees for refuge or safety. They seek refuge from places where they are not safe. They cannot return home. Mercifully, God is our stronghold, providing refuge to both travelers and refugees.”
Moving Forward: “How can you find empathy for the stranger, the unhoused person, or the refugee?”