Scripture Union Discovery January 7, 2018 – Above the Storm
OPENING PRAYER:
God, help me to dwell in Your shelter throughout the year.
Read PSALM 91(New International Version (NIV)
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Reflect “WHOEVER DWELLS IN THE SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH WILL REST IN THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY” (PSA. 91:1).
Recently, I watched the hatching of two baby eaglets thanks to the amazing technology of a webcam high on a cliff overlooking the eagle’s aerie. It was wonderful to watch these scrawny little creatures, devoid of feathers, being cared for by their gigantic parents. When they were only a few days old, a heavy storm hit their area. The mother eagle calmly lifted her enormous wings and the little ones fled to safety beneath them. Throughout the storm, the mother never flinched, and the babies were so well-hidden that no one caught sight of them until the tempest ceased.
This is the sort of love Psalm 91 describes (4–6). No matter what worldly troubles crowd our minds, we can find comfort in this psalm. Will terrorists infiltrate our land? What if a hurricane should make landfall near us? Do we have sufficient finances to see us through this year? Read verse 15 and be reassured.
But does this psalm really suggest that if we trust the Lord we will never be harmed? Satan quoted this psalm to Jesus (Matt. 4:6), and we know how our Lord suffered. But Jesus didn’t go through it alone, and nor will we (11,12).
APPLY
If you face danger or fearful situations today, picture those gigantic wings. Under his wings you will find refuge.
CLOSING PRAYER
Father God, hide me in You today. Teach me how to constantly dwell in Your shelter and find rest in Your shadow.
