1 Sunday in Lent 2/25/07 Text: Psalm 91 Title: Home, a Place of Refuge
1 Sunday in Lent.
2/25/2007
Text: Psalm 91
Title: Home, a Place of Refuge
If you were going to look for a place to live, what would you look for? You would probably look a place that fit your family. You know, have enough bedrooms and such. It would probably have to be in a good school district and have low taxes. It would probably have to be somewhere where you and your family could be happy. All of those things are important, but there is probably one thing that would be the most important, that is it would need to be in a safe neighborhood.
We all want to feel safe. We want to feel safe in our homes, so we install locks, put pole-guards in the windows and sliding doors and get wired for an alarm system.
We want to feel safe on the roads, so we buy good solid cars and trucks.
We don’t like being at risk in this country, so we wear helmets and wrist pads and knee pads for even the most innocuous activity. We’re afraid to put kids at the slightest risk which is why some communities have banned dodge ball and teeter-totters and tag from the schoolyard. We don’t like putting our stock portfolios in high-risk investments.
We want to play it safe, and it’s in this cultural of fear, anxiety and caution, that God addresses another fear: the fear that our lives may have no meaning and purpose, that after all is said and done, our inner lives are at risk along with everything else.
So God invites us in our Psalm today to find our way “home.” To find a shelter in the storm, a refuge from what plagues us, a fortress against the onslaught, a shadow in which to hide, a dwelling place in which to find comfort and rest.
So on this first Sunday in Lent, we are going to take a look at Psalm 91, so that we can make our way to our spiritual home, where we can be safe from the temptations of the world. Notice I did not say we would not have any temptations, but that we would be safe from them, for I am talking about the safety of our souls.
Notice all of the different words used to describe this “home” that we find in God: shelter (v. 1), shadow (v. 1), refuge, (vv. 2, 9), fortress (v. 2), dwelling place (v. 9). What a wonderful home. What more could you ask for? But as you read verses 9-16 you might get the impression that the Psalmist is talking about is easy sledding. You might get the idea it is about having the kind of faith that precludes any danger or pain for the faithful.
Did you know that some Christians have actually copied these verses and worn them in amulets around their necks as a way of warding off danger, a kind of God Prevents Suffering device? Others have adopted these verses as evidence that God supplies guardian angels to his people to keep them from harm.
They say that God does not want us to suffer, that he wants us to lead happy lives, so if we believe enough we will be rewarded by God. While those things are true, except for the part about being rewarded if we believe enough, God is not teaching that false doctrine in this Psalm.
There are benefits though in this Psalm. Great benefits that God promises to deliver to you when you live in his fortress, which is the Word. Let us see: In verse 1, he will give you rest. In verse 2, he will keep you safe. In verse 4, he will hide you and reinforce you. In verse 5, he will give you remove your fear. In verse 7, you will not be killed. In verse 8, he will punish evildoers. In verse 10, he will keep you from evil. In verse 11 through 13, he will send angels to keep you from harm. In verse 14, he will rescue you and protect you. In verse 15, he will answer you by delivering you from trouble when you call out to him. And then in verse 16, he will give you a long life
That is a ton of stuff that God will do for you when he is your home. And what does God require from you? Let us see. In verse 1 and 9, you have to dwell in his house. In verse 2, you have to trust in him. In verse 14, you have to love him, and acknowledge him. In verse 15, you have to call on him.
I do not think that is too bad of a deal. The real promise of Psalm 91 is that in the midst of the dangers and oppositions of this world, God will not abandon his people. Faith in God does not guarantee a life of ease, but does receive the promise that God will “answer” his people and “be with them in trouble”.
I think that is what Paul had in mind when he was suffering in prison as he wrote that nothing, not even death, “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” God’s love is the ultimate security.
While we are not guaranteed lives free of pain, and, indeed, are often guaranteed quite the opposite, we are guaranteed that God dwells with us in the midst of our crowded, noisy, dangerous and often-under-construction journey of life. Dwelling with God means we can live without fear, for God is with us no matter where we find ourselves.
I love verse 4 our Psalm 91. What an image, being covered with God’s wings. It is a great image because I read an article some time ago that in a forest fire, a prairie chicken will gather her chicks together under her wings, settle down, and let the flames sweep over her. If necessary, she would die in order to save them. After the fire, the chicks would crawl out from under their mother’s burnt body. They enjoyed life and safety because of her sacrificial devotion.
Jesus did that same thing for us on the cross. He spread out his arms on the cross covering us from the wrath of God as he was struck and left alone. God still offers the same refuge and protection today. He continues to protect us by being a constant reminder before God the Father, that he received the punishment for us.
So, what does all this mean for you today? Well, let us see. We can rely on a God who loves us and acts on our behalf when we cannot help ourselves.
Let us take a look at Noah, for faith Involves resting securely on God’s Promise. As Noah followed God’s exact directions in building the ark, as he filled the ark with living things, as his family and he entered the ark his showed that his faith was active, for he was entrusting his life and that of his loved ones to God’s protection and provision.
Now God is not asking you to build an ark, but he is asking you to trust in him, to find refuge and comfort in him. Does your life seem at times out of control? Can you barely drag yourself out of bed in the morning? Do you feel like life has dealt you a dirty blow? Maybe your marriage is not working out as you had hoped. Maybe there is conflict at work or in your family. The list could go on and on.
Your life might not be wonderful right now, but that is exactly when you need to read this Psalm, for in this Psalm are the most wonderful promises of God. For in the trails you might be going through God is at work. He will never let any spiritual harm come to you. He will give you cover from temptation. He will restore your soul. He will give you life everlasting. That is really wonderful, because all God asks you to do is trust him. Amen
2/25/2007
Text: Psalm 91
Title: Home, a Place of Refuge
If you were going to look for a place to live, what would you look for? You would probably look a place that fit your family. You know, have enough bedrooms and such. It would probably have to be in a good school district and have low taxes. It would probably have to be somewhere where you and your family could be happy. All of those things are important, but there is probably one thing that would be the most important, that is it would need to be in a safe neighborhood.
We all want to feel safe. We want to feel safe in our homes, so we install locks, put pole-guards in the windows and sliding doors and get wired for an alarm system.
We want to feel safe on the roads, so we buy good solid cars and trucks.
We don’t like being at risk in this country, so we wear helmets and wrist pads and knee pads for even the most innocuous activity. We’re afraid to put kids at the slightest risk which is why some communities have banned dodge ball and teeter-totters and tag from the schoolyard. We don’t like putting our stock portfolios in high-risk investments.
We want to play it safe, and it’s in this cultural of fear, anxiety and caution, that God addresses another fear: the fear that our lives may have no meaning and purpose, that after all is said and done, our inner lives are at risk along with everything else.
So God invites us in our Psalm today to find our way “home.” To find a shelter in the storm, a refuge from what plagues us, a fortress against the onslaught, a shadow in which to hide, a dwelling place in which to find comfort and rest.
So on this first Sunday in Lent, we are going to take a look at Psalm 91, so that we can make our way to our spiritual home, where we can be safe from the temptations of the world. Notice I did not say we would not have any temptations, but that we would be safe from them, for I am talking about the safety of our souls.
Notice all of the different words used to describe this “home” that we find in God: shelter (v. 1), shadow (v. 1), refuge, (vv. 2, 9), fortress (v. 2), dwelling place (v. 9). What a wonderful home. What more could you ask for? But as you read verses 9-16 you might get the impression that the Psalmist is talking about is easy sledding. You might get the idea it is about having the kind of faith that precludes any danger or pain for the faithful.
Did you know that some Christians have actually copied these verses and worn them in amulets around their necks as a way of warding off danger, a kind of God Prevents Suffering device? Others have adopted these verses as evidence that God supplies guardian angels to his people to keep them from harm.
They say that God does not want us to suffer, that he wants us to lead happy lives, so if we believe enough we will be rewarded by God. While those things are true, except for the part about being rewarded if we believe enough, God is not teaching that false doctrine in this Psalm.
There are benefits though in this Psalm. Great benefits that God promises to deliver to you when you live in his fortress, which is the Word. Let us see: In verse 1, he will give you rest. In verse 2, he will keep you safe. In verse 4, he will hide you and reinforce you. In verse 5, he will give you remove your fear. In verse 7, you will not be killed. In verse 8, he will punish evildoers. In verse 10, he will keep you from evil. In verse 11 through 13, he will send angels to keep you from harm. In verse 14, he will rescue you and protect you. In verse 15, he will answer you by delivering you from trouble when you call out to him. And then in verse 16, he will give you a long life
That is a ton of stuff that God will do for you when he is your home. And what does God require from you? Let us see. In verse 1 and 9, you have to dwell in his house. In verse 2, you have to trust in him. In verse 14, you have to love him, and acknowledge him. In verse 15, you have to call on him.
I do not think that is too bad of a deal. The real promise of Psalm 91 is that in the midst of the dangers and oppositions of this world, God will not abandon his people. Faith in God does not guarantee a life of ease, but does receive the promise that God will “answer” his people and “be with them in trouble”.
I think that is what Paul had in mind when he was suffering in prison as he wrote that nothing, not even death, “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” God’s love is the ultimate security.
While we are not guaranteed lives free of pain, and, indeed, are often guaranteed quite the opposite, we are guaranteed that God dwells with us in the midst of our crowded, noisy, dangerous and often-under-construction journey of life. Dwelling with God means we can live without fear, for God is with us no matter where we find ourselves.
I love verse 4 our Psalm 91. What an image, being covered with God’s wings. It is a great image because I read an article some time ago that in a forest fire, a prairie chicken will gather her chicks together under her wings, settle down, and let the flames sweep over her. If necessary, she would die in order to save them. After the fire, the chicks would crawl out from under their mother’s burnt body. They enjoyed life and safety because of her sacrificial devotion.
Jesus did that same thing for us on the cross. He spread out his arms on the cross covering us from the wrath of God as he was struck and left alone. God still offers the same refuge and protection today. He continues to protect us by being a constant reminder before God the Father, that he received the punishment for us.
So, what does all this mean for you today? Well, let us see. We can rely on a God who loves us and acts on our behalf when we cannot help ourselves.
Let us take a look at Noah, for faith Involves resting securely on God’s Promise. As Noah followed God’s exact directions in building the ark, as he filled the ark with living things, as his family and he entered the ark his showed that his faith was active, for he was entrusting his life and that of his loved ones to God’s protection and provision.
Now God is not asking you to build an ark, but he is asking you to trust in him, to find refuge and comfort in him. Does your life seem at times out of control? Can you barely drag yourself out of bed in the morning? Do you feel like life has dealt you a dirty blow? Maybe your marriage is not working out as you had hoped. Maybe there is conflict at work or in your family. The list could go on and on.
Your life might not be wonderful right now, but that is exactly when you need to read this Psalm, for in this Psalm are the most wonderful promises of God. For in the trails you might be going through God is at work. He will never let any spiritual harm come to you. He will give you cover from temptation. He will restore your soul. He will give you life everlasting. That is really wonderful, because all God asks you to do is trust him. Amen
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 5:17 PM
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