Thought for May 27, 2024

•  1703: St. Petersburg founded
• 1896: Tornado kills 255 in St. Louis
• 1930: Richard Drew invents masking tape
• 1930: Chrysler Building opens as the tallest building in the world
• 1940: Operation Dynamo--Miracle at Dunkirk begins
• 1969: Construction on Walt Disney World begins
• 1995: Christopher Reeve paralyzed after falling off a horse
• 2020: U.S. covid death toll exceeds 100,000
• Born: Francis Beaufort [Beaufort wind scale], Julia Ward Lowe, Wild Bill Hickok, Dashiell Hammett [Sam Spade], Rachel Carson ["Silent Spring"], Hubert Humphrey, Sam Snead, Herman Wouk, Christopher Lee, Henry Kissinger, Lee Merriwether, Ramsey Lewis, Louis Gossett Jr., Danny Wuerffel
• Died: John Calvin, Jerome Carlton [laziest man--inherited fortune at age 19, stayed in bed for the next 70 years], Gregg Allman, Bill Buckner, Luther Bridges

Luther Bridges started preaching while a student at Asbury College. He took his wife and 3 boys to Harrodsburg Kentucky to stay while he was on a preaching trip. His family died in a house fire. He then wrote the words and music to "He Keeps Me Singing." "Though sometimes He leads through waters deep, trials fall across the way, though sometimes the path seems rough and steep, see His footprints all the way--Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go."

Thought:

Reading again this morning a familiar psalm--Psalm 46. This was one of Martin Luther's favorites and in times of trouble and despair, he would say to his companions, "come, let us sing the 46th psalm." Luther introduced new music for Christians to sing and wrote several hymns including "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" based on this psalm. There are more than 80 different English translations of the hymn from the original German. The translation by Thomas Carlyle begins, "A safe stronghold our God is still, A trusty shield and weapon, He'll help us clear from all the ills that hath us now o'ertaken." I love the hymn as we sing it, but also am encouraged by this translation where we see God as not only our fortress, but also a shield and weapon. While the fortress is a secure place where we are protected, the shield and weapon remind me that our battles with Satan are often up close and personal and we need the shield of faith and sword of the word to wage the battle. 

Look at the ills that are described in this chapter:

• Trouble [46:1]
• Earthquakes, floods [46:2-3]
• National uproars and conflicts and failures. [46:6]
• Wars  [46:9]

Sounds like every evening newscast. There are troubles--disease, corruption, famine, drought, disputes. And then we look at our own lives--bodies hurt and fail; things we thought permanent and secure fail; changes cause anxieties. Even nature seems to be in an uproar--tornados, hail, hurricanes, floods, drought, volcanos. And nations struggle within and without. Our nation is divided over politics, immigration, abortion, taxes, spending, protesters. Among the nations there is strife, war, conflicts---tariffs, embargoes, attacks, incursions. Of course Luther felt these pressures as he was hunted and pursued, cast out of the church. 

But look at the good news in this psalm: 

• God is our refuge. He is with us. 
• God is our strength.
• God has prepared a dwelling place for us.
• God is steadfast and immovable.
• The voice of God calms our souls, dispels our fears, commands the earth to be still, ends all wars. 
• God is victorious and will be exalted by all the nations. 

So what does this mean? We will not fear [46:2] How blessed are we that He is our God, our stronghold, our strength, our captain, Savior, Redeemer, Advocate, Peace. 

Blessings

Larry