Taking Shelter in the Shadow of the Almighty

-

 



    When life presses in pretty close and trials and troubles encroach on our hearts, where can we turn? When schedules and concerns overwhelm our minds, how are we to cope? When we can't even form words to pray, what will bring peace to our soul?

    The Word of God provides the answers. The Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than a sword. The Word of God is the Bible. The Word of God is Jesus. The Word of God is our peace and our comfort. The Word of God is our refuge when the storms of life are howling all around us.  

    The Psalms are one place in the Word of God that can provide the clarity of thought and the peace and calm to our souls that we need. My father gave me a Psalter many years ago. A Psalter is the Psalms of the Bible put into a form for singing (often to traditional hymns that are very familiar to me.)  I love to open this book and read this version of the Psalms, often humming them to the tune that the Psalter has set them to.  

Here is a Psalter version of Psalm 91. This can be sung to the same tune as the old hymn, "Jesus, What a Friend For Sinners." If you are not familiar with this beautiful old tune, this does not keep you from the message of the Psalm coming through each and every stanza of this poetry. I pray you find peace and calm that can only be found in the Shadow of the Almighty.  

Psalm 91


Who with God Most High finds shelter

In th'Almighty's shadow hides.

To the Lord, I'll say, "My Refuge!"

In my God my trust abides.

From the fowler's snare He'll save you, 

From the deadly pestilence;

Cover you with outspread pinions,

Make His wings your confidence.


God's own truth, your shield and buckler;

You will fear no ill by night,

Nor the shafts in daylight flying,

Nor disease that shuns the light,

Nor the plague that wastes at noonday.

At your side ten thousand fall;

You will only see this judgement

Which rewards the wicked all.


You have made the Lord your refuge,

God Most High your dwelling place;

Nothing evil shall befall you;

In your tent no scourge you'll face.

He will angels charge to keep you,

Guard you well in all your ways.

In their hands they will uphold you

Lest your foot a stone should graze.


You will trample serpents, lions, 

Tread on all your deadly foes.

For his love to me I'll save him,

Keep him, for My name he knows;

When he calls me I will answer,

Save and honor him will I.

I will show him my salvation,

With long life will satisfy.


(From the Trinity Psalter, Crown and Covenant Publishing, Pittsburg, PA. 2000)


Soli Deo Gloria,

💓Heather Sparks💓

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It Is Well With My Soul

-
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. We are all reeling from the images we are seeing of our neighboring communities after Hurricane Helene blew through our region and dropped unprecedented amounts of rain. TVA has stated this was a 1 in 5,000 year event. There has been much loss of life and personal property. With the loss of my nephew fresh on my mind, I have found myself thinking of the words and humming the old hymn "It is Well" frequently. The story behind this hymn (along with the lyrics) tells that the state of our soul is the only thing that truly matters.  The author, Horatio G. Spafford was a businessman from Chicago. He had a successful legal practice and was a devout Christian. Spafford’s lost almost everything overnight in the great Chicago Fire of 1871. To add to this tragedy, his young son had just passed away a short time before the fire...
Read more

Adorning the Gospel

-
Image
  We all love to make things look nice, don't we?  Ourselves, our children, our cars, our homes --- most people like for our lives to be attractive to others and for our own enjoyment.  While I usually brush it off as false, Sam knows that I love hearing him or the kids tell me I am beautiful.  The beauty of nature is breathtaking.  God made us all to love pretty things.      Brother Doug has been leading us through the book of Titus recently.  Titus 2 speaks to every category of Christian -- older men, older women, young men, young women, and those in bondage.  A couple things stood out to me as Doug was teaching that have been running through my mind for the last couple of weeks.   3  Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior,  not slanderers  or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,  4  and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,  5  to be self...
Read more

Joy To The World!

-
Image
     One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is the music!  Christmas music brings a special element of joy to the season.  There are so many great Christmas songs in almost every style, from whimsical and folksy all the way to classical.  I am always excited for the time when the radio station switches to all Christmas music so that our car rides are serenaded with the sounds of the season.  The familiar melodies are comforting and cheerful, for the most part.  Many of these songs have been ingrained in my mind since infancy and I can't remember a time that I did not know them.  Just like all familiar music, however, I catch myself mouthing and humming along to lyrics that I know like the back of my hand without giving any consideration to what those words mean!  My older kiddos don't always appreciate this overly analytical approach to music that may cause me to nix a song or two from their playlists at times.  However, f...
Read more