Under His Wings

[1]

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  This I declare about the Lord:  He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.  For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.  He will cover you with his feathers.  He will shelter you with his wings.  His faithful promises are your armor and protection.  Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.  Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.  I will protect those who trust in my name.  When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.  I will rescue and honor them.  I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”  Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16

North Korean nukes, Russian hacking, Ebola and flesh-eating viruses, cyber-bullying, mass shootings, climate change, disasters du jour, and now impeachment inquiry to overshadow the 2020 elections; tell me, where do I sign up for an exit strategy from the stress of life in the new (and improved?) millennium?

Despite world tensions over diseases, natural disasters, and political posturing, nothing is new or (as the talking news-heads proclaim) unprecedented.  Solomon knew that; the wisest man on earth had tried every diversion and pursuit possible and concluded:

History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.  Ecclesiastes 1:9

All that given, nonetheless, people scurry about looking for my aforementioned twenty-first century merry-go-round exodus route.  Some try pills, or indiscriminate sexual escapades, alcohol-induced amnesia, computer games, or losing one’s mind in scrolling posts on Facebook…perhaps literally!

One of the oldest methods of fleeing the terrors of the night, and the arrows of the day is religion.  Now that may sound strange coming from the preacher, but religion takes many forms.  Some I’ve already mentioned…sex, drugs, booze, et al.  Of course, there’s the traditional approach, church three times on Sunday, Wednesday nights and revivals.  There is serial religiosity pursuing mainline religions or any of the estimated 4200 offshoots, from the slight variations to the ridiculous fringe extremes.[2]  Religion?  We’ve got whatever you like!  I do not wish to be misunderstood, but here’s my take on it:

All forms of religion are good at some points                          and fail miserably at most points.

The point at which religion always fails is that all of it is an attempt to reach upward to “God” as opposed to acceptance of God’s reaching downward in His grace and love.  Any attempt to reach up smacks of our participation in accomplishing salvation, when all it really does is make us feel better about ourselves.  God has shown us in His Word that is a non-starter.  It was wholly God’s initiative to save us; it is our simple responsibility to accept what God has already done.  All else we do in terms of living the joy and thankfulness with which we are blessed is simply a natural response to God’s mercy and forgiveness.

For You Today

The old hymn is my exodus from the madness of everything life can sling at me, including religious rules-following, approval or disapproval of my fellow humans, friend and foe alike, and I invite you to sing it along with me:

Under His wings I am safely abiding.  Tho' the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me.  He has redeemed me, and I am His child.
Under His wings, under His wings, Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide, Safely abide forever.[3]

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com     Unless noted, Scripture used from The New Living Translation©

[2] How many Religions are there worldwide?  Reference.com

[3] William Orcutt Cushing (words), Ira David Sankey (music), 1896, (Public Domain) courtesy of Hymnary.org