On Sunday, July 26, in the third in-person service of Shanghai Moore Memorial Church Church, Elder Li Peidi gave a sermon based on Psalm 91.
This is the third Sunday service after the church resumed worship services. Every participant needed to have their QR code scanned and register their name and mobile number.
Elder Li shared that during the past few months she had often meditated on and received great comfort from Psalm 91.
Psalm 91 is a response to Psalm 88, which tells how Moses and the others came out of Egypt. The Israelites sang and praised God with hymns on every Passover. Today, what kind of assurance does God give us in the face of various circumstances and challenges?
People experience many unexpected things. Since Spring Festival Eve, we have experienced the worst pandemic in a century. How do people seek protection from disaster? We can get the answer from Psalm 91 in which God has given us the assurance of peace.
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." The Most High God is above all powers. He is the Almighty God, the God of covenant, and the protector of those in need. The "shelter" corresponds to the "highest". We need the protection of God. For example, Ruth was a Moabite, but she was willing to live with her mother-in-law, and trusted in the god of her mother-in-law as her own. So Ruth later became one of the ancestors of the Messiah. So he who lives in the shadow of the Almighty can be protected by the Most High God.
No one can take away God's love from us. He is my God, and I rely on Him. God also says that he is my refuge, and all that God has given me will be mine. Will I make the church my home today? If so, God will bless us.
"He will save us from the fowler’s snare." Today, even professional researchers cannot treat the COVID-19 with drugs. There are many uncertain factors in this world and in the current environment. How can we survive in this uncertain environment? Under his wings we will find refuge, because he is our shield and rampart. It is like a little bird hiding under the wings of its mother to get protection. If we live in the shelter of the Most High, we will be protected by God. But we tend to indulge ourselves in money and desire the reputation of the world.
"Although a thousand people fall by your side, and ten thousand people fall on your right side, this disaster shall not come near you." The Egyptians pursued the people of Israel but the water of the Red Sea covered all the Pharaoh’s horses and chariots. The people of Israel saw the pursuers falling under their feet, but this disaster did not come upon them.
How do we face illness or suffering? Sometimes adversity is a real test for us. But today we can be victorious under the leadership of God. In Noah's age of unbelief and perverseness, there were also deeds of God. God took care of Noah's family and saved them. Although we are eating and drinking, we must constantly be alert at this time and seek God as our support.
"The Lord is my refuge", God continually gives us confidence and encouragement through his words. The Most High is our dwelling and refuge. Just as Satan tempted Job, Job prevailed through God help. This is also possible for us today. Today we are experiencing what God has promised. It is very important to find the evidence of peace in the Lord's words.
"God will save us and show us salvation." God's love and joy for us is a life connection between us and God. Today we often enjoy the pleasures of sin. During the coronavirus pandemic, some people were quiet in front of the Lord, and some were at a loss. People are weak, and will change with the environment. Some learned how to cook, some couples found harmony in their relationships, and some wanted to divorce after the epidemic ended. How do we deal with all this? How do we live out the love of God and show a life of love?
During the coronavirus pandemic, many people also spread the gospel and show the love of Lord, and some have risked their lives. What was this for—for the love of God. Because God loves us, we want to pass on this love to others. The love of life can help ourselves and others through hardships.
We should respond to God’s love by our actions. We are adopted as his sons, not because we are precious, but because we have put on the robe of God's righteousness. Thus we will pass on the love of God. So we can live in God’s dwelling where is incomparably safe because this is the shelter of the Most High.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
