~ God is my Blanket ~

[Lani]

Psalm 32:1-11

1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.



"You are a hiding place for me: tou preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Psalm 32:7 (NRSV)



While on the train to St. Petersburg, I saw a touching scene. A father, mother, and young child were traveling in the neighboring compartment. Toward evening, the strain became cold. The mother and child had falen asleep, so the father took a warm blanket and carefully covered his wife and child. At that moment I remembered the Russion translation of Psalm 32:7, "God is my blanket".

What does this mean for me? A mother swaddles her child. A grandson lovingly puts a blanket over his grandmother who has fallen asleep in her armchair. In the pouring rain, somene offers a place under an umbrella. When one spouse has fallen asleep from exhaustion, the other tenderly covers him or her with a blanket. When a person is weak and old and in a hospital bed, another pulls up blankets to keep the elder warm.

We may not notice these blanketsm and other "blankets" of concern that people offer us, beleiving that we are alone and that God is indifferent to us. But scripture tells us that from the day of our birth to the end if our earthly days, the Lord covers us wutg care, mercy, warmth, and love.




Prayer: When we are especially vulnerable and defenseless, thank you God, for covering us with your care and giving us new life. Help us remember to shield and warm others with your love. Amen.

Prayer Focus of Day: Those who feel unprotected

Thought for the Day: Our attenion and concern can convey God's loving care to those near us.


Story shared by: N. Ilyushonok ( Belarus)
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional: 8/14/11