God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shieldswith fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
At the writing of this newsletter, I don’t know what has happened.
What will happen is still to come.
After the violent storming or our nation’s capital – that hallowed space and place of democracy
is now locked down in order to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.
Lord, in Your mercy…may it be so.
Still, the wreckage is undeniable and the division palpable, not only in our nation,
but in our churches, our places of work…our families.
We have found ourselves intentionally and unintentionally worshiping at the altar of
“my side” forgetting the “shall” of the first commandment and
the “shall not” of the second.
Lord, have mercy…
It is heartbreaking, it is anxiety producing, it is…
Lord, have mercy…
In light of all that is going on in us, in this nation, and in the world,
this scripture keeps coming to mind.
At the writing of this newsletter, I don’t know what has happened,
but I do know the truth of these words.
And to keep things in their simplest form, I invite us to consider that we need only know
the truth of one word-the very first word of Psalm 46.
Though the earth give way…God.
Mountains fall into the heart of the sea…God.
Waters roar and foam, mountains quake with their surging…God…God.
Nations in an uproar…God.
Families, churches, country divided…God.
In the midst of so much that rages, there remains the immovable unshakeable reality…
GOD
Knowing this, trusting this, is entering the still.
The still of knowing that no matter what
is going on in our churches, our nation, our families, or our world…God.
God is…
Refuge, Strength, Ever-Present, Help,
With us, Fortress, Bow Breaker, Spear Shatterer,
Shield Burner, I AM, Exalted,
With us, Fortress…
At the writing of this newsletter, I don’t know what has happened,
but what I do know, is all I really need to know…God.
May that immovable unshakeable reality be the still out of which we
live, move, have our being, serve, minister, grow, proclaim, love, forgive, offer grace,
listen, learn, and honor…God.
Thanks be to God. And always, thankful for this journey with you,
Dena
If you would like to view past editions of Grace for the Journey, follow this link: https://fairwaydistrictnc.org/category/from-the-ds/