Psalm 91:1-6 (NRSV)
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.”
For he will deliver you from the snare of the hunter
and from the deadly pestilence;
he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and defense.
You will not fear the terror of the night
or the arrow that flies by day
or the pestilence that stalks in darkness
or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
Devotion
Psalm 91 is surely one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible. It delivers a strong, persistent message that God is in charge and that God protects those who are faithful to God. “God is my refuge and my fortress.”
This song is a serious challenge for those of us living in twenty-first century America, particularly in the current environment that we are confronting. We Americans are a people who have faith and pride in our laws, our institutions, our worthy causes, our abilities and talents. We have accomplished much and have much to be proud of as a nation, a community, a church, and individuals.
Yet this Psalm reminds us to take the long view and to remember that we are not actually in charge. We are vulnerable and weak. We may secure advanced degrees, purchase a battery of insurance policies, seek employment with tenured protections, establish savings and retirement accounts. But the forces of evil are strong, and those hoped-for protections are, actually, terrifyingly weak. Psalm 91 strongly declares that God is our refuge, not the protective edifices that we have created around us.
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous quotation, that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” is a reminder that God’s justice is not always immediate or evident, but that it will prevail. In the meantime, we must have faith and attempt to walk hand-in-hand with God as we struggle through what may appear to be the “valley of the shadow of death.” We have a protector.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, please help us remember every day that you are there to protect us from the evils that surround us. Help us remember that we are not in charge but that we must have faith that your will will be done. Thank you for caring for us in our vulnerability and fear.
Betty Douglass
Additional resources:
“On Eagle’s Wings,” written and sung by Michael Joncas –