A Reflection for Thursday, March 6 by Seanna Wong
Lectionary reading for 03/06/2025: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; Exodus 5:10-23; Acts 7:30-34;
Selected passage for reflection: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16.
Read
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 NLT
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:
9 He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
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.”
Reflect
A few months ago, I experienced a safety concern in my apartment building. Anxiously, I researched the best cameras and locks and purchased each one. I monitored every notification from the devices’ apps, believing that would bring reassurance—when in reality, they only fueled my obsession with safety.
Again and again, I asked myself: Am I safe here? What else could I buy to make me safer? What should I have had earlier to prevent this? Where would I go if it happened again?
Often, we think of safety as something we can create—locked doors, security systems, backup plans. But safety, as we define it, is more assumed than guaranteed. We trust a locked door, forgetting it can be picked. We close a window, not considering it can be shattered. This illusion disappears in moments of crisis—natural disasters, accidents, pandemics. Suddenly, the fences we built and the protections we put in place feel fragile, exposing how little control we truly have.
And so, we return to the same questions: What could I have done differently? What should I buy, replace, or stock up on to prevent this? And ultimately, when all else fails—where would I go? Where can I truly find safety?
Psalm 91 gives us an answer.
This psalm is more than a comforting passage—it is a declaration of divine security. I read it as the greatest security system, out matching Brinks, ADT, and Blink. The psalmist doesn’t promise a life free from hardship; rather, they acknowledge that dangers—painful events, hard cutting places, and devouring forces—will come. Yet, these forces cannot overcome us because of the Lord’s unmatched power and presence.
The invitation of Psalm 91 is not to seek out better security measures, but to recognize that God Himself is our ultimate refuge. His protection is not like the temporary, human-made barriers we rely on—it is unshakable. His presence is not limited to a single location—it is everywhere, at all times, forever.
Neither evil, nor destruction, nor uncertainty can stand against our God, who has dispatched heavenly beings as our in-home, roadside, and everywhere-else assistance.
In verses 14-16, God speaks as a loving Father, promising that those who seek Him will find His presence and protection—not because of their own efforts, but because of His faithfulness. He does not guarantee a life without trouble—but as John 16:33 states, we should “take heart”—because God promises to be with us in the midst of all trouble and all pain. He takes the painful events, the hard, cutting places, and the forces that seem their only purpose is to overwhelm us, these things we thought would break us, and He transforms them into opportunities to reveal just how completely He rescues, how faithfully He honors, and how justly He vindicates.
Psalm 91 is both a map and a treasure, a bunker and a lifeline, a distress call and a lullaby, a deed and an inheritance. It poses a question: Where will you run when calamity comes calling? Under whose shadow will you hide?
Psalm 91 declares there is only one shadow worth finding safety in and His name has never changed.
Respond
Have you found yourself running to people or things for safety and peace of mind? It’s an easy habit to fall into. But the security they offer is ephemeral and never truly fulfilling in times of distress.
I invite you to bring to mind the thing, situation, or worst-case scenario you’ve been toiling over—the one you’ve told yourself must be fixed, handled, resolved, or situated before you can finally feel safe, secure, and at peace. Envision that burden in your hands, and now picture yourself placing it into the hands of the Almighty. You can lay it at His feet or rest it in the shadow of His presence, however you imagine it.
Now, with even the smallest measure of faith—a splinter, a slab, or anything in between—entrust it to God, your only perfect and complete source of security. And when feelings of doubt or anxiety begin to sprout around that burden, I encourage you to turn to Psalm 91—whether in its entirety or just a few verses that pull at your own personal faith strings. Use scripture to take those thoughts captive and replace fear, doubt, worry, or anxiety with trust that God’s word will never fall to the ground.
Rest
Lord, Thank you for the lamp your word is to dark and unsettling places, and for the reminder of your presence with us in those places, too.
Father, let us encounter your character described and voiced throughout Psalm 91. Let us experience it and testify of its truth so we may give you glory. Holy Spirit, please keep our hearts attuned to your voice. Remind us to cry out to you in times of trouble, and open our ears to hear you speak. Help us to stay hidden under your shadow, Lord. Let our attention not stray from making you our dwelling, and even when we do find ourselves wandering, rescue us into your loving arms.
Thank you for your faithfulness, eternal and living God, and your name be praised
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About the Author
Seanna Wong, M.B.A., is a Miami, Florida native who writes on faith, womanhood, and identity in a clamoring world. She’s known Psalm 91 as a distress cry and lullaby, and has seen its efficacy. When she’s not working, writing – or avoiding either of the two – Seanna is either reading or working on her cooking vlog. You can read more of Seanna’s work here: https://medium.com/@seannawrites.
This reflection is part of a series called Prayerful Reflections: A Daily Devotional for Lent 2025. Join us on the blog each day, for a new reflection from a different writer, or download the pdf of the entire devotional by clicking the button below.
Commentaires