Psalms 90 and 91

Psalm 90: A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
1 Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!
2 Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.
3 You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals!”
4 For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours.
5 You sweep people away like dreams that disappear. They are like grass that springs up in the morning.
6 In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered.
7 We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury.
8 You spread out our sins before you— our secret sins—and you see them all.
9 We live our lives beneath your wrath, ending our years with a groan.
10 Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away.
11 Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve.
12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.
13 O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good.
16 Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory.
17 And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!Home is where the heart is...

We say it, but do we really believe it? We usually say it when we are someplace we would rather not be. The attitude is intended to make us more comfortable. After all, we would always rather be home.

Home is where we belong. Home is where our people are. Home is where our dreams are.
Home is where we feel most confident and comfortable. Home is...well...home. We can't do better. Home is what defines us. I'm from Minneapolis. Anybody can draw some pretty accurate conclusions about me simply be knowing where I'm from. I'm Norwegian. I love the Twins and the Vikings. I went to "the U". I love lefse. Uff da!

So what do you suppose Moses was implying when he said "Lord, through all the generations you have been our home." It appears that the character of God is supposed to define our lives. Assuming Moses is right, and God is our home, some of us have some housecleaning to do.

What assumptions can people make about us...based simply on our home of record? Or are we still house hunting? Israel tried that and it didn't work out so well for them. Moses says "We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury. You spread out our sins before you— our secret sins—and you see them all. We live our lives beneath your wrath, ending our years with a groan." That's what happens when we leave home.

Add on, redecorate, do what you have to do, but stay home. It's where you were created to be.

Live boldly out there today.

Psalm 91
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.
9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

It's always been called ""The Warrior's Psalm." The promise of safety is as precious as it can get.
My cousin Jimmy was a marine at the siege of Khe Sanh. He was also at the battle of Hue...two of the most deadly encounters of the war in Vietnam. He wrote to his dad and told him he was trusting the promises in

Psalm 91. "The Lord is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you."

Imagine yourself in the middle of raging combat...casualties mounting, indiscriminately, with no safe place to hide. Do you think this psalm would hold special meaning? You bet!

But, here's the interesting twist: "If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go." remember Psalm 90? The Lord is our home?

It may have been said that "home is where the heart is" but really...it's more than that. Home, in the palm of God's hand, is the only place we will ever truly be safe. That place may be in the jungles of Vietnam or the desert of Iraq or the snake pit you call a job. It might be the meat grinder you call a relationship. The location is insignificant. Anywhere with God is home. Anywhere without God is hostile territory...and you're asking to become a casualty.

I'm not suggesting you ask God to move into your life. I'm suggesting you go ahead and move in to God's life.

Live boldly out there today...