Psalm 91

Nine years ago, a massive forest fire swept through the town I lived in. 400 of the 6000 homes in town were destroyed. Stress!That was one of the biggest consequences of the fire. Stress, stress, stress!

Everyone said, "Wasn't it wonderful that no one died in the fire?" It was a blessing, indeed. But the next year -- in a church that averaged three funerals a year -- we did a dozen funerals. And it wasn't until nine months out that I did a funeral for someone who was in their eighties instead of someone in their teens, twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, and sixties.

Stress, stress, stress. It pulls marriages apart, sends kids to counseling, plunges good people into depression, spurs addictions, and increases the rates of illness and death.

We noticed something in that town over the next few years. In general, the people who truly "1 live[d] in the shelter of the Most High [found] rest" in the days and months and years to come. In general, the people who did not have a vibrant faith, spent the next few years angry and bitter and looking for someone to sue.

Why do I bring this up? Because a few months ago the economy crashed, and there's been a lot of stress in our world lately, and it pulls marriages apart, sends kids to counseling, plunges good people into depression, spurs addictions, and increases the rates of illness and death.

Having faith doesn't make us immune to the trials of the world, but "1 those who live in the shelter of the Most High [are more likely to] find rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Bad things happen to good people, but for those who choose God as their 1 refuge, ... 4 he will shield [them] with his wings." The "5 terrors of the night [and the] fear [of] dangers" is real, but "14 the Lord says ... 'I will protect those who trust in my name."

My two favorite words in this whole passage are two of the shortest -- "am" and "if." Verse 5 doesn't just say, "I trust in the Lord"; it says, "I am trusting him." "Am trusting!" It's active. It's daily. It's a conscious decision. Every moment something else says, "Trust in me." We want to trust in our money, our jobs, our spouse, the government, and social security. But "am trusting" is a conscious decision. Day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, I "am trusting" in the one who "15 will be with [us] in trouble, [who] will rescue [us] and [even] honor [us]."

My second favorite word is "if" -- "9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter." Again, our temptation is to focus on money, jobs, spouses, people, governments, and social security, and we put a few eggs in each of those baskets, including a few eggs with God. We spread our trust along with the risk. But God says essentially, put all your eggs here, trust only in me, because "9 if you" do, "4 he will shield you ... shelter you ... protect [and] rescue you," and in the end, he will "give [you his] salvation." This world will pass away. That promise won't. But we leave it all to chance and fallible human being if choose any path other than that "if."

Lord, all of us have stress.

I give you mine. I hand it over.

Starting now, no more "ifs,"

I "am trusting" in you.

But Lord, help me! I can't do it alone!