Devotion 6.16.26

Psalm 91:1 - 10

9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—

  the Most High, who is my refuge —

10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,

  no plague come near your tent.

God is my refuge and my fortress, in whom I trust. (v 2)

The world we live in is chaos. We seek stability from it from a variety of sources.

I've learned so much these past few weeks. Like it or not, I'm learning about soccer, because the USA, in its 250th year of independence, is hosting the World Cup. Consequently, it's on every channel 24/7 including news and information, game shows, commercials between re-run episodes of my favorite shows, and just about everything else imaginable. I'm not a real soccer fan, but they exist everywhere. Rabid fans in fact. 

I've learned about gambling and college football. The dance with the 800-pound gorilla began a few years ago when gambling interests found a foothold in sponsorships, then Vegas got sports franchises and stadia, and then it really hit that gambling is a legitimate business (huge in fact), but it promotes a serious illness - addiction. Addiction feeds a beast all its own, and that came home to roost right here in Lubbock, America that ended last night around the time Ryan Hyatt's "The Raiderland" finished its net cast. No sooner was Ryan done then he was posting David Collier's scoop that Sorsby was headed to the NFL. Drama over. The residual issues will be around for awhile though.

I've learned we have an election coming up in the US. This one features themes to protect us from evil that exists within others, and other nations who may threaten our very existence, hence the term "existential threat." You need to vote for me to protect you from... (you fill in the blank). Existential used to be reserved for matters of faith, in my early days of study at college. I never heard it used in my political studies (one of my majors) but did in my theology/philosophy classes. "He's an existentialist," my memory tells me I heard professors say about men who taught or thought about God and man in certain ways. Apparently, national issues are now existential as well.

We even hear it in our own church body with the election of a president of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. Vote for the man who's held the seat for 16 years now because his work is not done, or vote for his opponent in a runoff because we need to change course. What are the issues? Like any church, disagreement over how we do business now or how we should in the future. "The harvest is plentiful; the workers are few." God's Will shall be done in his church, regardless of our efforts to shape it around our own will.

The world is chaos. It always has been and always will be. The days of law and order we seek from yesteryear probably were just as raucous. We've just shaved the chaos of those days off and remember them fondly. 

In truth, Christ tells us of such issues in this week's gospel lesson (Matthew 10) as he sends the twelve out on their first mission trip with him as their teacher. It's a dangerous world out there. So dangerous yet never has it needed to hear the gospel message like then and now. The harvest is plentiful (last week's gospel). You have and will have me with you as you go out in my name.

That's what the psalmist is telling us today. God is faithful to us. We will be exposed to danger. We may even die for confessing him to others who don't believe, but he has us "under his wings" (91:4)

Ultimately, evil cannot beat us or win because God will take us to be with him. We enjoy that same victory over sin, Satan, and death. 

God is my refuge and my fortress, in whom I trust.

Pray with me; God, Help me navigate the chaos. Help me to live a life toward your greater purpose, one of sharing your good news in a world that is hostile to it. Keep me safe from harm as I share the good news. Be with me on my journey in this life. In Christ's name, Amen.

Hope Men's Ministry is a ministry in service to Hope Lutheran Church and School. Our purpose is to grow, unite, and share God's Word to all men through meaningful activities. These activities center on fellowship, service, conversation, prayer, study and devotion as we seek to become men of God as He created us to be.