The banner, the love, and who is for us

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.