Welbeing

Psalm 91:4–5 “He will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armour. Now you don’t need to be afraid of the dark anymore, nor fear the dangers of the day;

I am sure that we’ve all heard the saying, “I’ve got this covered.” It’s a phrase we often come across in the insurance industry. Of course there are two kinds of agencies that deal with life cover, namely insurance companies and assurance societies. What’s the difference?

If you like, insurance is a ‘just in case it happens’ whilst assurance is ‘a guarantee that will come through when required.”

No wonder Fanny Crosby wrote blessed assurance rather than blessed insurance.

A story is told of a cowboy who goes to buy some life insurance. The broker asked him if he had any accidents in the past year, to which the cowboy replied “No. But I was kicked by a horse, chased by a raging bull and bitten by a snake - that laid me up for a while.” The agent said, “Weren’t they accidents?” To which the stockman replied, “No, they did it on purpose.”

Another story tells of a retired couple who were alarmed by the threat of nuclear war so they undertook a serious study of all the inhabited places on the globe. Their goal was to determine where in the world would be the place to be least likely affected by a nuclear war. A place of ultimate security. They studied and traveled, traveled and studied. Finally they found the place and as Christmas approached they sent their pastor a card from their new home--in the Falkland Islands. However, their "paradise" was soon turned into a war zone by Great Britain and Argentina. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

The question is do we rest in the assurance God affords us?

When we fall into the traps

of groundless fears,

you deliver us.

When an epidemic of worry

threatens to overcome us,

you protect us.

When harmful words

are flung at us,

you answer our cries for help.

Gracious God,

we worship you.

When our lives crumble,

you urge us to buy hope's fields.

When we are tempted by wealth,

you point us to those

who have nothing but share all.

When we are eager

to grasp senseless lies,

you wrap our hands

around God's promises.

Servant of the poor,

we follow you.

When the world silences our hope,

you give us the words to make

the good confession of faith.

When we have lost our way

and can no longer endure

the emptiness of our lives,

you satisfy us from the abundance

of God's grace and joy.

Sheltering Spirit,

we seek your peace. Amen