Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
Psalm 48 NIV
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1 Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. 2 Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King. 3 God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress. 4 When the kings joined forces when they advanced together, 5 they saw her and were astounded; they fled in terror. 6 Trembling seized them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor. 7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish shattered by an east wind. 8 As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord Almighty, in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever. 9 Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. 10 Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness. 11 Mount Zion rejoices, the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments. 12 Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, 13 consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation. 14 For this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.
How have you seen God guide you through a crisis that threatened your city?
We are coming out of a global crisis. What made this crisis so threatening to our community, city, country, and the world was manipulation and fear. By raising fear, the devil and his comrades were able to cripple the church which is the greatest resource of strength and support in times of crisis. The manipulation of fear turned people against each other. Everyone was the enemy. We lost the ability to relate to each other behind those masks. People watched their neighbors, not to help them, but to report them and judge them because they were not conforming to the rules. Lord, Jesus, this is not of You. This is not what You teach us in Your Word. Forgive us. Through our failure, You bring renewal. You are our fortress and strength. Within Your church let us meditate on Your unfailing love to guide us as we rebuild our communities. Instead of avoiding others, let us boldly look directly into the eyes of those around us and love them. Let us reconnect through smiles and kind gestures. Bring the church back together so that we can minister to the needs of each other. Bring us together in unity as we rebuild our faith and trust in You. So many people are still struggling and need Your guidance. Show us ways to serve each other out of Your love and compassion. Let what we say and do change and renew our life right here on this earth because of Your Power. Rebuild Your church to be beautiful in its loftiness and the joy of the whole earth. I pray that we again can sense the presence of God and know Your security and protection. Let Your church be a city on the hill, a light to those who are lost, and a blessing to the world around us. Thank you for Your grace and Your resurrection power to guide us. Amen