FAITH CONNECTION – FARMERSVILLE UMC
Ministry Updates for Monday, August 10th, 2020
But you, O Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
I cry aloud to the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
Reflection – God’s Protection
One of the most popular requests in the Psalms is to ask for God’s protection. Israel was a small nation that was often a neighbor of a rising or looming regional power. Whether it was Egypt, Babylon, Assyria or the latest ‘on a roll’ smaller nation, they lived almost constantly under a shadow. There was little hope of them being able to defend themselves against such juggernauts. So they called on God, and quite frequently.
It is clear God has given us many means with which to defend ourselves. But there are times when situations are bigger than we can handle. So we need to board up the house and either evacuate from or sit out the hurricane. I suspect such times are the most appropriate for prayer. We pray because we believe God cares for us.
But sometimes we get confused about this. Certainly, people do get injured and die. Where was God’s protection for them? And really, where is God’s protection for all of us? We will all suffer injury, ailment, pain and finally death.
As people of faith, we believe we are more than bodies. We also have a soul. And our souls are an indelible mark on creation. Not only that, we, meaning our whole being, are created to be a gift to creation, ‘blessed to be a blessing’.
God created you and I to be a needed blessing. It feels good to be needed. I hope God needs us. That means he will need to keep us around. But more importantly, in faith I believe God loves us. That means he will want to keep us around.
When the world throws something too large for you to handle, pray for God’s protection. Israel did. And this tiny country, that seemed destined to be wiped out, time after time, somehow made it through.
Prayer:
God in heaven, we pray for ourselves, for our families, for our nation and for our world to be protected against this pandemic. Help us make good choices about protecting ourselves and those around us. We know you love us. We know you hear us when we cry out to you. We know you put a shield around us. For that we give you thanks. Amen.