A Latin spiritual journey with discerning hearts, from ashes to glory.

Day 24, shelter in the heart of God. A reading from the book of Psalms, chapter 91, verses 1 and 2, and 9 through 16.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.

Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the most high your dwelling

place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels

charge of you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a

stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

Because he cleaves to me in love, I will deliver him. I will protect him because he knows my name. When he calls to me,

I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and honor him. With long

life, I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.

After encountering the trials of spiritual battle, today's psalm offers a tender promise.

There is shelter. There is safety. There is a place of rest. In the heart of God. Psalm 91 is a psalm of deep consolation. It speaks of a God

who does not leave us in our fear or abandon us in trial. He invites us to abide in him, to find

refuge in his presence like a weary orphan who has finally found a home. The intimacy and protection

he offers is not abstract. It is real, and it meets us in our deepest vulnerability. This is not

just about escape from external dangers. It is about trusting that God is our safe dwelling,

even when we are beset by inner turmoil,

anxiety, temptation, grief, or fear. He places angels around us. He promises to lift us up.

St. Augustine, in his confessions, reflects on this interior shelter.

You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. You were with me,

but I was not with you. So much of our spiritual journey is about returning inward to dwell in God who already dwells within us.

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