Today is Veterans Day. Union has a long tradition of military service, with many in the congregation who served and nearly fifty veterans buried in the church’s cemetery. On Veterans Day, we pause to honor the men and women who have served. We remember the courage it took to leave home, to live with uncertainty, and to carry the memories of service long after returning. We give thanks for those who served and for those serving now. We give thanks for the families who have stood beside them in all the ups and downs.
Over the years, many who have faced danger and uncertainty have read Psalm 91, including many men and women serving in the military. The psalmist speaks of finding shelter in God and trusting God in times of fear. Its words have comforted people facing danger, separation, and uncertainty. Its words remind us that even when we cannot control what lies ahead, we are not alone. God is with us and covers us with his wings of protection and care.
As disciples, we know that trusting God does not mean that faithful people will never suffer or that every danger in life will pass us by unscathed. Yet, we can trust these three promises of Psalm 91. God is near. We can call on him in trouble. Our lives are held in his tender care.
So today, let us give thanks for those who have served. Let us listen to their stories, thank the veterans in our communities, and remember those who are still serving today.
Jesus loves you, Union Family, and I do too.
Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”