Is there anyone out there who has not felt the tremors of earthquake COVID?

Have you been ill or fearful of sickness? Has this great change in the world affected your job or your business? Or have the heightened emotions and loud opinions shaken your friendships? Have you felt your social support systems falter? Has it strained your family life? Or maybe just the constant string of minor adjustments and irritations is taking a toll—like waiting in line to shop at a store, or wrangling with technology for online meetings, or discovering that for some odd reason your grocer can no longer get Minute Tapioca. You know, the tapioca might have just been the last straw.  

David’s life was battered by constant tumult. He suffered everything from threats to his life, to family hostilities, to terrible personal consequences of his own sins. Yet he was the writer of most of the Scripture we’ve focused on this week—lines of confidence in God’s steadfast love. He had confidence in God as the Rock, the Refuge, the Shelter, the Fortress. David had learned how good the habit was to declare God’s love in the morning and to thank God for His faithfulness in the evening.

David knew this. He had lived it. And as a result, his songs say one more thing: Over and over he declares, “I will trust Your unfailing love. All my hope is in You.” 

I’m adding that to my daily reflections on His love and faithfulness—declaring every day that I will trust Him.

Twelve years ago this month, I quit a long-time job to begin freelancing. I didn’t really have a business plan. I had no clients lined up. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen.

But I did have Psalm 32:8: The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

I believed that was truth and reality. I was depending on it, pinning my future on it. (And I have reminded God often of His promise — not that He needs reminding!)

As we dwell in His shelter, no world-wide disaster can disrupt His love and care. No personal circumstances can rocket us into any sphere where these truths do not stand as firm reality. We can trust His unfailing love.

If you want to add this affirmation to your daily prayers as one more way to dwell in His shelter, David gives us plenty of models. Adapt one of these as your own daily declaration:

• I trust in your unfailing love. Psalm 13:5

• Let me hear of your unfailing love in the morning, then show me the way to go, for I trust my life to you. Psalm 143:8

• Lead me along the best pathway. Advise me. Watch over me. Psalm 32:8

• Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me purity of heart to honor you. Psalm 86:11

• Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long, I put my hope in you. Psalm 25:5

• I am trusting you. You are my God, and my times are in your hands.
  Psalm 31:14, 15

And there are many, many more in the Psalms. I don’t think we’ll be straying too far from His shelter with daily prayers like these.

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NOTE: I’ve just seen an advertisement on the Internet for a Bible app called “Dwell.”  I know nothing about it except that the ad says it saturates with Scriptures. You might want to check it out. And if you do and you’d recommend it—or not—let us know. 

This is the last of this week’s morning declarations of His unfailing love. And I have to say, it’s one of my favorites.

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down deep into God’s love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3:17

And, as the following verse says, may we all have the power to understand how deep our God’s love for us really is. Amen.

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. (Psalm 31:7)

With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home. (Exodus 15:13)

For this is how God loved me: He sent His one and only Son to take my punishment so that I will not be condemned but will have life. (Personal adaptation of John 3:16)