March 14

Divine Deliverance

I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” — Ps 91:2 BSB

It is believed that this Psalm, like the one before it, was written by Moses, “the man of God,” and both may reflect Israel’s flight from Egypt. To “abide under the shadow of the Almighty” reminds us of our Lord’s words: “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing.” Bunyan wrote that the hen has four calls—the call at dusk, the call when food is found, the call of warning when danger is near, and the call of brooding love, drawing her chicks close. Today, God calls each of us, saying: “Come, My children, make the secret place of My presence, My care, and My constant protection your home. For whoever dwells in the secret place of the Most High will abide under the wings of God.” When night approaches, when resources are scarce, when danger looms, or when loneliness presses, let us hear God’s call and nestle beneath His shadow.

God is able to keep us in all our ways. Many of us believe God will eventually bring us through, but we have little expectation that He will keep us blameless in the process. We think we’ll reach Heaven, but battered and beaten along the way. Yet surely our God can do better than that! He can preserve us from anger, jealousy, hatred, pride, and envy, as well as from more obvious sins.

The promise is clear: “He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways”—in your work, in your social interactions, in service, and even in sacrifice or suffering. Let us humbly ask for the fulfilment of these promises. God will answer your prayers, be with you in trouble, and satisfy you with a long life, or with a short but meaningful one. He will show you the wonders of His salvation.

Prayer

Lord, be within me to strengthen me; around me to keep me; above me to protect me; beneath me to uphold me; before me to guide me; behind me to keep me from wandering; and all around me to defend me. Amen.