You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. - Psalms 119:114 NIV
Do you remember receiving actual letters? Before our smartphones and computers, and email and texting, we would write to our friends and family. Usually, the contents of the letters were not all that spectacular; they were simply about everyday stuff, “Grandpa and I are doing fine. We saw your mom yesterday.” Sometimes though, there would be something that would make the letter special, perhaps some word of encouragement, a poem, or the recollection of shared memory. Simply the fact that the person had taken the time to sit down and write us a letter made us feel loved.
God’s word is a very special letter to each one of us. It is a letter of stories, poems, prophecies, and epistles, given by God to different people in different places meant to be read privately and shared openly. In its pages, we find comfort when sad, strength when weak, and refuge and our shield in uncertain times. The same story can be read many times by different people and provide for their spiritual needs at that specific time. But, most of all, the cherished word is God’s message of love and hope for all of humanity.
Our Father in Heaven, we give thanks for your word. In it, we find what we need at the time we most need it. In it, we hear your love for each of us, and we hear the message of hope through your Son Jesus Christ. Thank you for his atoning blood that saves us and the gift of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. That spiritual compass helps us listen for your voice and discern your word for our lives. Bless us today as we partake of your divine scriptures. In Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
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