In my daily Bible reading this
past Wednesday, I read Psalm 60:4, “For those who fear you, you have
raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow.” It’s as if the print lifted
from the page in front of me. I’d never heard anyone quote or speak on this
verse before, but I knew the Lord was highlighting it for a reason. It seemed
as if God were saying, I am raising a banner over you amid the onrushing tide
against you. And as those words settled into my spirit, a verse from the Song
of Solomon came to mind. “He brought me to his banqueting house, and his banner
over me was love” (Song of Solomon 2:4).
His banner over us is
love.
As I wrote last week, Jerry has
been dealing with seeming cardiac issues for about two weeks. An hour after the
Lord gave me the verse, we would have another medical consultation, which lead
to Jerry having a heart catheterization and an additional stint (up to four
now) placed in his heart this past Friday.
Often, the Lord will give me a
way to reframe difficult episodes. And he certainly did this time. As we sat in
the hospital room awaiting Jerry’s return from the catheterization, I kept seeing
that flag of love flying. And even though it meant another piece of mesh in his
body, the relief was instant when we learned the problem had been remedied.
I’ve written here before about my
love for the contemporary song “The Blessing,” taken from the Aaronic blessing,
“God bless you and keep you, God smile on you and gift you, God look you full
in the face and make you prosper,” (Numbers 6:22-27). The song includes a line
that is repeated many times, “He is for you.” And folks, when stuff starts
coming at us, it’s good to remember God is for us and flying that love flag
over us. I believe it’s the only way we can face that onrushing tide I wrote
about earlier.
So, here’s to banners and love,
and God being for us.
Selah.