Sheltering God

With the Internet and TV the speed at which news travels is amazing. We can hear and see the images of earthquakes in Italy or China before the trembling stops: images of children who survived drowning, a bombed building, a tsunami destroyed beach. The troubles of the world speed at us faster each day. We see the images and wonder, “What can we do?” A desire to hide from the horrors of the world surrounds us, but the images keep coming.

The global images may not shock us as much or as hard as the pictures of despair and destruction we see in our own country. All of these, though, threaten to drive us into fear and despair, especially when we know someone whose family has directly suffered from the criminal and natural dangers of our world.

Our lives are filled with troubles; not only global or local, but our own; troubles which vex our inner cores and destroy our self-confidence and faith in a merciful God. The psalmist endured his troubles because of faith in the present God, who gives strength and help to those who love God; a God who doesn’t remove our troubles, but who strengthens us and shelters us from the worst of them.

Protecting God, remind us of your presence and strengthen us to face our daily troubles.. Amen. — DG