He will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor. Psalm 91:4 TLB
"Stay under God's umbrella." These were the words
of a pastor whose television program I was watching one Sunday morning as I was
dressing for church. He was teaching his congregation about God's plan to
protect us from the storms of life. He said that God's rules are not about
making our lives difficult, but rather about providing shelter from the storms.
During our first winter storm this year, when the weather
changed rapidly from rain to sleet to heavily-falling snow, the image of that
pastor standing under an umbrella came to mind. In less than twenty-four hours,
in order to protect ourselves from the storm, we needed to change from a light
jacket and an umbrella to a coat, hat, gloves, and boots, and then finally to
seeking shelter and staying indoors.
As the snowstorm raged, I started thinking that when we need
shelter from the storms of life, we don't need to stay indoors or change our
clothing. We have our heavenly Father's promise that He will shield us with His
wings, shelter and protect us, and be our armor. All we need to do to protect
ourselves is to "stay under God's umbrella" and seek Him.
Prayer: Thank You, Father, for all the promises You have
made to us. Please forgive us when we rely on our own solutions, coming to You
only when we fail. Thank You for always being there when we finally realize how
much we need the protection of Your umbrella. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Judy Welch (originally shared on the Presbyterian Church of Canada devotion page)
In a desert land he found him, in a barren howling waste. He shielded him and cares for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye. Deuteronomy 32:10
For thus says the Lord of hosts "After glory He sent
me against the nations which plunder you, for he touches you, touches the apple
of His eye." Zechariah 2:8
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow
of your wings. Psalm 17:8
Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as
the apple of your eye. Proverbs 7:2
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness" Genesis 1:26
Recently I read "the apple of his eye" twice in
different places and said to myself, "I feel a devotion coming on.”
In Hebrew apple is "ishon" and means man. If you
stand very close to someone you can see your reflection in the pupil of their
eye. That's the man in the center of the eye. The ishon is "The little man
of the eye." Your eye is a very sensitive place and it is very protected.
Your eyelids rapidly close when danger is propelling too close. Your head
turns, and your hands ward off a threat. Deuteronomy reflects Israel's
vulnerability and God's tender, loving affection for his people. God provided
complete protection; His people were a priority. In the "howling
wilderness", God provided manna to eat, water from a rock, and safety from
their enemies. His care was as automatic as if He was guarding the center of
his eye from harm.
In Genesis we learn that God created man in his own image.
When God looks closely into your eye, He sees himself. We are the apple of His
eye and He loves us dearly.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for making us the
apple of your eye. Thank you for your unending grace and love. Thank you for
protecting us and guarding us when we are vulnerable. Help us remember the care
you give to us in all circumstances. Amen
Nancy Hall
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
And the same verses from The Message:
All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.
In a recent article in Real Simple magazine, five ways to extend sympathy were highlighted. Having lost my mother last summer, this article was interesting to me. It was titled “Simple Ways to Help a Loved One Navigate Grief”. The defining word here being "simple".
Five experts in different fields were consulted, and the two that I’m focusing on for this devotion are:
Send no-pressure invitations: extend invitations to others to join you for a meal, an outing, if they feel up to it.
Consider sympathy fuel for your soul: instead of exhausting or draining, offering something to others can provide a lift. Tell them, “I’m here to listen”. Let them know you are thinking about them. Sometimes we are afraid to say something simply because we’re not sure what to say…so we avoid people and situations. Offer an invitation (see above!). These things are not overwhelming, as this suggestion implies you may be thinking, but will be affirming and, chances are, much appreciated. Of course, every situation and every person’s journey through grief is different, but I have found this to be true when offering sympathy to those in my life who have lost loved ones. “Fuel for my soul”.
In our previous Wednesday morning Bible study, we explored the women of the New Testament (From Daughters to Disciples by Lynn Japinga), and in the chapter on the women who were present at the cross and resurrection, we find that they just showed up. They were present throughout the death and resurrection of Jesus. The author says: “when someone is in a crisis, merely showing up seems insufficient.” We may think that there is some tangible task that needs to be done for the bereaved. But: “sometimes, just being present is the greatest gift.”
The article cited above offers suggestions for both: offer an invitation when they are ready to accept, and just be present, if they are open to that.
Good advice, and good for those of us who want to offer Christian support during a sorrowful time. I was comforted by the cards and expressions of condolence offered by friends and church members following the death of my mother.
Prayer: Lord, help me to understand that it’s not difficult to let someone know that I care. With your help, I can reach out to others in their time of grief, no matter what their level of need is. There are so many for whom just being present can be appreciated. Help me to be that "present person" for others. Amen.
Donna Gustafson (reprinted from 2022)
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