Devotional 4-11-09

Psalm 31: 1-4

“In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed;
In Your righteousness deliver me.
Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me.
For You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name's sake You will lead me and guide me.
You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength. ”

My older brother and I were mowing a yard when a storm came upon us. We mowed until the water drowned our mowers and they would no longer run. At that point we crawled into the carport to get out of the rain. The storm intensified and we moved into a little passageway between the house and the laundry room. This gave us protection on three sides as the lightening flashed and thunder rolled. Suddenly the lightening was not in the distance but rather it was on top of us. There would be a strike of lightening followed by a clap of thunder. I came to the end of the courage that a nine year old could muster and began to cry. My brother, two years older, calmly said “David, it will be ok.” That was all he said, but that is what I need to here and I calmed down.

“In thee, O Lord, do I seek refuge let me never be ashamed.” It is all we need. The world swirls around us. At times it seems out of control and at times it is. The world is unfixable. Like the electrical storm I found myself encased in, as a soaking wet nine year old, we find ourselves attached to a world that is limited and at times evil. God is our refuge. In God we find our security and safety. During this time of Lent we become focused on the gift that God gave us to not only define our existence and security in this world but to define our existence and security for eternity.

Rev. David Johnson

Mission Prayer Focus and response:
April 11; United Methodist Ministries, Gary; Judy Matheny, Church and Community Worker
Working with two parishes, as well as UM Ministries, Judy provides persons having little or no income with assistance concerning utility bills, food and other special needs. She also distributes baby items and cleaning supplies by working closely with case workers from other agencies.
We pray today for United Methodist Ministries in Gary. They need baby and household items. If you're thankful your house is clean, at least mostly, give a quarter for every bottle of bleach you have.