Hi, and thanks for joining us for today's encouragement from the Our Daily Bread

Devotional title, Our Place of Safety.

It was written by Monica LaRose.

Retired teacher, Debbie Stevens Browder, is on a mission to convince as many people as possible to plant trees.

The reason? Heat. Extreme heat in the United States is the number one weather-related cause of death.

In response, she says, I'm starting with trees.

The canopy of heat protection that trees provide is one significant way

to protect communities. It's life or death. It's not just about beautifying the community.

The fact that shade isn't just refreshing but potentially life-saving would have been well known to

the psalmist who wrote Psalm 121. In the Middle East,

the risk of sunstroke is constant. This reality adds depth to the Psalm's vivid description of

God as our surest place of safety, the one in whose care the sun will not harm harm us by day nor the moon by night.

This first can't mean that believers in Jesus are somehow immune to pain or loss in this life,

or that he isn't dangerous. After all, Christ tells us in John chapter 16, in this world, you will

have trouble. But this metaphor of God as our shade does vividly reassure us that whatever comes our way,

our lives are held in his watchful care.

There, we can find rest through trusting him, knowing that nothing can separate us from his love.

Music that nothing can separate us from his love. Today's our daily bread devotional scripture reading is from Psalm 121.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip. He who watches over you will not slumber, indeed. He who

watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you. The Lord is

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