God's Word Always Fits

For quite some time I have been reading Psalm 91 and replacing the pronouns with the name of a friend of mine.  She has been going through some "stuff" and the passage fit.

This morning I before I turned to the Psalm--you would think I'd have memorized by now--I thought of another friend who was facing a violent hurricane for the first time after a recent move to Texas and another friend who was in the hospital with a brain bleed.

3 people
3 very different problem
1 passage
Words of comfort for all

Psalm 91

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
    though ten thousand are dying around you,
    these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
    and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
    to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
    you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.”

Berries and Breakthroughs

While picking berries this morning, I was thinking about being told "No" when all I really wanted was a resounding "Yes." In retrospect, I have to admit that many of those "No" answers were a blessing. I really didn't need or even want what I asked for. Other times the "No" meant a time of growth and later understanding.  Then there were the times that seemed a mystery, even arbitrary. Yet, my trust in God won't allow for arbitrary. So that is where my thoughts roamed as I reached for each juicy red raspberry.

I really didn't have any particular instance in mind. I was just wondering. Wondering why some prayers are answered immediately. Wondering why some are answered eventually Wondering why some are put on hold. Some yeses, some noes, some just wait.

Then a thought.  I have taught early childhood education for 25 years. The faces of several former students came to mind.  Through the years I have had a handful of students who for one reason or another were never taught the meaning of "No." Sometimes there was no carry through leaving the word meaningless. Sometimes the word was rarely spoken leaving it a foreign language. These kids had a really tough time learning to deal with the structure of a school environment.  Life as a student was not what they expected and they pushed back. Until they realized the meaning of "No" and accepted it, life was miserable.

Without explanation. That was what I often expected from these 4-6 year olds. We talked about the why, but I needed them to accept that sometimes there is a "No" without explanation.

So right there in the berry patch I realized that I was really just a 6 year old asking why. Yet sometimes there is a "No" without explanation.  Nothing arbitrary. Just a loving God who knows what is best for me.  A loving God who knows what would happen to that 6 year old child in me if she were not reigned in.