Our Only Hope - Jesus (Part 3)

 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is ka shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. (Psalm 91:1-10 ESV).

 

If you know how big and scary and difficult the world is, our reading today 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.

 

However, 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 mysteriously 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. Our only hope of such protection is found in Jesus alone!