Lent Devotional March 10, 2026

Scripture

Psalm 91

1 You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2 will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the hunter
and from the deadly pestilence;
4 he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and defense.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night
or the arrow that flies by day
6 or the pestilence that stalks in darkness
or the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
the Most High your dwelling place,
10 no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

14 Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
15 When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble;
I will rescue them and honor them.
16 With long life I will satisfy them
and show them my salvation.

Devotion

The Rev. Catherine (Kay) Day ’97

As American adults, we are taught that we are to handle things on our own. We are to be independent and self-reliant. But the truth is that this is impossible, hard as we may try. Beyond that, it is not how God has intended us to live. Hardships will come. Difficulties and struggles are part of life. Opposition from foes happens. We sometimes feel attacked, either by opponents or by circumstances. What are we to do?

The answer comes in Psalm 91. God is the one to stand with us. Look at the images of the Psalm. The shelter of the Most High, the shadow of the Almighty, and a refuge and fortress (vv. 1-2) all provide pictures of being protected, of a defense against attack. The image in verse four is of a bird protecting her chicks, covering them with her feathers—a refuge under wings that hides the chicks. What a picture of care! But it is God who is doing this, who is the protective parent.

Attacks in life are real—the terror of night, the arrow that flies, pestilence that stalks, plague that destroys. Note when these happen—night, day, darkness, midday—all the time. We are repeatedly under attack from nature, from enemies, from events of life.

But verse nine offers a caution of who this protection is for. It is not a “blanket” protection. It is for those who call God their refuge, who make Him their dwelling—that is, those who seek and submit to God’s care. The joy (v. 14) is that God does this because we love Him. When we call on Him, He will answer abundantly.

The question for us is: in the midst of attacks, struggles, or danger, will we call on God and invite Him to be our shelter and our refuge?

Prayer

Holy God, You promise to guard and guide us if we humbly call on You. Faithful God, hear our cry for You to take us under Your wings and protect us from the attacks of life. Be our refuge and fortress. This we ask in Your Holy Name. Amen.

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