Under His Wings
Originally scheduled for November 14
Psalm 91:1-8
This is one of the most frequently quoted Psalms:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the
shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my
fortress, my God, in whom I trust." For he will deliver you from the
snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover
you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his
faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror
of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence
that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and
see the recompense of the wicked.
(Psalms 91:1-8 ESV)
As we shall see, this Psalm describes God as well as us. We shall
see that communion reminds us of many things about God and us.
About God
Perhaps the most comforting thing that comes out of this Psalm is
the idea that God is a fortress and a refuge, a strong hiding place
to which we can run. The wicked are not content with physical
assault, but must also assault us psychologically and spiritually.
When that happens — and it will — we run to God to be our fortress.
Not only will he be our fortress, he will deliver us from the attack
of the evil one. God, if you will, takes sides. His forgiving
children are important to him and he defends them from Satan’s
attack.
It’s important to know how he does this — by overshadowing. One of
the things of the Christian apologist must learn very early is to
turn the attack on him personally into an attack on God. Anyone can
quite successfully accuse me of being a sinner; I’m a Christian,
after all. By definition Christians are all sinners. Far more
important than that, however, is God’s reaction to our sins. He
overshadows them; by his sacrifice we are cleansed.
About us
It’s important to remember that when you become a Christian you
become a child of God. You are his adopted heir, brought into his
family. This world is not my home, and I’m very glad I travel
through this world with the other children of God in his church.
When you pay attention to what God says, you will see that the timid
become fearless. That’s not the same as being bold or irrational;
not all of us are cosmic leaders. But all of us can feel the peace
that true fearlessness brings. The threat is very great; God is
greater.
The great promise given to us is that we shall see the recompense of
the wicked. The day of judgment is coming; the evil will appear
before the great throne of judgment and we shall see it. Do you
think Adolf Hitler got everything he deserved in this life? I don’t
think so either — but God isn’t done with him yet.
Communion
Communion is a reminder of these things. The bread and the cup
remind us of his atoning sacrifice, by which we are adopted and
forgiven. The guilt of our lives is wiped away, and our accuser is
silenced. This is just the beginning. We are in a contest between
good and evil. By his atoning sacrifice and God’s eternal plan, we
shall see the end of that contest. The good guys win.
Communion is the reminder that says the victory has already been
won. By Christ’s body and blood we are forgiven and adopted. We are
given the promise that the good guys win and we shall see it with
our own eyes. Soon, please Lord, soon.
