Shelter

by: Adam Stout

Swans are majestic creatures. Famous for their long, graceful necks and white plumage, they are symbols of beauty. But they are also terrifying if you cross them. My friend and I were canoeing on the lake when we saw two adult swans. He warned me that he once got too close to one and it chased him off the lake. So we kept our distance and watched the swans glide by.

We noticed several baby swans trying hard to swim behind their stronger parents. One of the babies, evidently tired, hopped up on his mommy’s back. The mother swan used her pinions, the large, rear part of the wing, to steady the baby swan on her back. Then the baby nestled down and rested there.

The psalmist in today’s verse says that God protects us in this way. There are many things from which we need refuge. The psalmist mentions just a few: sickness, war, and darkness. But these things are no match for Almighty God; he is much bigger and more powerful than all of them. Because he is also much bigger than us, we may sometimes be afraid of God. But we need not fear that he will chase us away. Psalm 91 is an ode to a God who loves us deeply. Our powerful yet compassionate God offers us a standing invitation to climb on his back and find rest.