Courage and compassion

REVEREND KENLEY MANN

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91:14- 16)

A long time ago the London Times newspaper took a poll of senior citizens in London, England. The poll asked, “What is your favorite memory that you enjoyed most in your life?” Sixty percent of the senior citizens gave the same answer. It was the blitz, the blitzkrieg. Night after night German airplanes dropped bombs on the city reducing large parts of to rubble.

Is that a surprising answer? No, because as the people huddled together, they grew together. They learned to have courage and compassion. Bombs aren’t being dropped on us but life can hit us with dangers, tests and temptations.

Instead of being grieved by our troubles, we could anticipate them as being what we look back on as the time we were especially blessed. They brought us to huddle together around the Lord and his word.

We experienced the Lord being with us. The Lord is not a “fair weather” friend who abandons us when there is trouble. I will be with him in trouble, the Lord declares in Psalm 91. He did not flee from us but became one with us.

Let us Pray: Lord, thank you for your many blessings. Let us learn to have courage and compassion in our daily lives. Enable us always to praise you. Lord, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Devotion used by permission of The Lutheran Home Association

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