40 Days of PEACE
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of PEACE
Day 16 | SAFE REFUGE | Psalm 61:1-4
40 Days of PEACE
Day 16 | SAFE REFUGE | Psalm 61:1-4
SAFE REFUGE
Psalm 61:1-4
“O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! (Selah)”
What is the opposite of PEACE?
Many people would answer something along the lines of “problems” or “storms of life.” Generally, that “something” is caused by an action or event outside of themselves.
We don’t know the details that prompted David’s writing this psalm; it might have been when Absalom rebelled against him… we don’t know. But most scholars think it was written after he was King.
And as we read the psalm, we see David’s plea to God for safety, refuge, a fortress, sanctuary… where, ultimately, there is PEACE. Being safe under the LORD’s wings brings PEACE.
Recently, my wife Debbie and I watched the movie “March of the Penguins,” a documentary about the challenging living conditions for penguins on the South Pole. At one point, the egg needs to be passed from the mother to the father. It is a rather challenging procedure and needs to be done quickly and efficiently in sub-zero temps, or the egg will freeze and the embryo die. In a dance, designed at creation, the penguins – more often than not – succeed in this passing and the chick in the egg continues to grow in safety.
We all need safety, protection, and refuge. We all need PEACE.
In these verses, King David paints a picture of WHERE that peace resides… under the shelter of God’s wings.
It’s open to you and me. We just have to be willing to go to Him.
Prayer: LORD, the world is at times a frigid and dangerous place. Thank YOU for offering me your safety and, ultimately, your peace. I love you. Amen.
Psalm 61:1-4
“O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! (Selah)”
What is the opposite of PEACE?
Many people would answer something along the lines of “problems” or “storms of life.” Generally, that “something” is caused by an action or event outside of themselves.
We don’t know the details that prompted David’s writing this psalm; it might have been when Absalom rebelled against him… we don’t know. But most scholars think it was written after he was King.
And as we read the psalm, we see David’s plea to God for safety, refuge, a fortress, sanctuary… where, ultimately, there is PEACE. Being safe under the LORD’s wings brings PEACE.
Recently, my wife Debbie and I watched the movie “March of the Penguins,” a documentary about the challenging living conditions for penguins on the South Pole. At one point, the egg needs to be passed from the mother to the father. It is a rather challenging procedure and needs to be done quickly and efficiently in sub-zero temps, or the egg will freeze and the embryo die. In a dance, designed at creation, the penguins – more often than not – succeed in this passing and the chick in the egg continues to grow in safety.
We all need safety, protection, and refuge. We all need PEACE.
In these verses, King David paints a picture of WHERE that peace resides… under the shelter of God’s wings.
It’s open to you and me. We just have to be willing to go to Him.
Prayer: LORD, the world is at times a frigid and dangerous place. Thank YOU for offering me your safety and, ultimately, your peace. I love you. Amen.
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