Seeking shelter

Norah Summers January 23, 2023 0 1

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Psalm 27 (NRSVA)

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me
    to devour my flesh—
my adversaries and foes—
    they shall stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
    yet I will be confident.

4 One thing I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
    and to inquire in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will set me high on a rock.

6 Now my head is lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,
    be gracious to me and answer me!
8 ‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’
    Your face, Lord, do I seek.
9     Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger,
    you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
    O God of my salvation!
10 If my father and mother forsake me,
    the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.
12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
    for false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they are breathing out violence.

13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!

We can feel very vulnerable to outside forces. Especially now, as the effects of climate change have greater and greater impact on our daily lives. We wonder where to turn, away from fire and flood, storm and drought.

The Children of Israel wandered for forty years in the desert. No wonder so many of their songs are about seeking shelter, safety and reassurance. God went with them in a fiery pillar and a cloud, fed them on manna, and promised them milk and honey — but of course they grumbled. Human beings like to know where they are, where they will sleep tonight, where the next meal is coming from. They like to know that all their senses will be satisfied, that God is in his Heaven, and that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.

Sometimes it feels like forty years we have to wait for a solution, a resolution, but God keeps his promises.

PRAYER:

God of our safe place,

our refuge and our strength,

our safe stronghold,

our rock,

our shelter from the stormy blast

and our eternal home.

Give us grace, we pray,

to see and feel and know

that you are always there.