This was first posted at The Episcopal Cafe's Speaking to the Soul on September 25, 2015.
The Psalms appointed for evening prayer today are among my
favorite in scripture. Together with Psalm 90, they form an introduction to
what is known as Book IV of the Psalter. They radiate hope and trust. They
comfort us in times of grief, when we are anxious or afraid. The fill us with
the warmth of the love of a God who is gracious, whose loving-kindness never
fades.
Some days it feels like we have the world on a string. Other
days are filled with struggle and loss. Psalms 91 and 92 resonate on both kinds
of days. Their promises of God’s love
and protection ring true, and hold up to us our reliance on God and God’s
companionship with us in all seasons.
There are some beautiful images used for God in these two psalms. In
Psalm 91, God is described as our shelter, our habitation—our safe home, a
place of rest. Four times we are reminded that God is our refuge—and even more
than a refuge, a stronghold. God is a mighty mother bird, with strong pinions
and sheltering wings to draw her children close to Her and envelop us in
safety. In Psalm 92, the beloved of God are referred to as being rooted in God
as either a palm tree or a cedar of Lebanon, mighty trees whose roots run deep
even during tempests and storms.
The first verse we will read tonight reminds us of the encompassing love of God:
Those who dwell in
the shelter of the Most High
abide under the
shadow of the Almighty.
These two psalms call us to draw in a breath, and let it
out. Feel that? The more mindful we are of our breathing, the more we are aware
of the blessings God has given us, starting with our very breaths, given to us
in creation, give to us from our births.
As we breathe, we feel the sheltering wings of the Almighty, which
provide us refuge and respite as we catch those breaths, as we gather strength
and are clasped within the embrace of
the One who is beside us always, who never sleeps.
That shadow we rest under is the cool shade of the garden,
the underside of every green leaf warmed by the sun. It is the promise of being
bound to God in love-- Love which is also the Name of God that echoes in our
hearts. As Psalm 92 reminds us, this story of love and faithfulness fills all
our days, and elicits from us a song to God of wonder:
To tell of your
loving-kindness early in the morning
and of your
faithfulness in the night season;
bearing us up through joy and through storm, ever steadfast,
ever faithful, never failing. God’s grace is abundant and steadfast; it calls
to us to sink our roots deep and flourish, to spread like a palm tree or a
cedar and claim our piece of sky, but also to share in the work of God to
provide shelter and shade throughout creation.
O Almighty One, we thank You for granting us shelter and
shadow. Help us to know your grace, to rest and root ourselves in You. Amen.
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