Week in Review

What an incredible week this has been!!

Meteors zipped across the skies over Mexico, Chile, Scotland, Ireland, England, Cuba, USA, China and in Russia where one hurt over 1000 people.

The Carnival cruise ship “Triumph” had a fire on board and subsequently drifted without power, running water or hygienic services for over a week. Several passengers literally kissed the earth when they finally made landfall.

For the first time in six centuries the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict, resigned. At first we heard stories of his heart condition and blindness. Then we heard stories of EU nations wanting to arrest him for the child molestation scandals during his time as Pope.

Women praying at the Kotel, also known as the Wailing Wall which is considered to be a remnant of the Second Temple, have been arrested for praying in tallitot (prayer shawls) and tefillin (phylacteries).

Horse meat DNA has been found in European Burger King Whoppers and in butcher shops in Great Britain.

North Korean officials have claimed a successful atomic bomb development and detonation. The Iranians, who are close allies of North Korea, went there for a look-see. I imagine there was ice cream and cake afterwards.

Over thirty earthquakes over magnitude 5 have hit this week; Russia, the Phillipines and New Zealand being the hardest hit with magnitudes over 6.1.

Approximately 315 murders were committed in the US.

American leadership continues to play the blame-game amongst themselves while hundreds of thousands of our fellow countrymen go without necessities. Let's hear it for those $20 million dollar vacations with golf lessons by Tiger Woods. and let's not forget the salary increases for the same group of people ... who will continue to get their salaries for the rest of their lives. No, I'm not kidding.

And that is all in this past week.

Taken individually, any one of these things is a mere blip on the radar screen of life. Taken together, and in such close proximity, now we're talking about the need for being alert. Like labor pains increasing in frequency, duration and magnitude, things are starting to 'heat up'. Unfortunately, there is no epidural for life. We have to go through it all: Good times, not so good times and horrible times are all part of the mix. Like an old friend who passed away about 20 years ago used to say, “It takes the bitter to appreciate the sweet.”

King David, who penned a majority of the Psalms, had seen quite a bit in his 70 years.  The Psalms recount his days of triumph and his times of grinding defeat. But he always had hope for tomorrow. He always asked YHVH for and trusted YHVH for better days ahead, days when he would look in triumph at his enemies. King David had confidence in his King, YHVH ... and so must we.

The very same things could be written about Moshe. He too, experienced the soaring victories and the crushing defeats. He saw the Creator of all face-to-face, yet never lived in the promised land. During his time as leader of the Israelites, he experienced victory over the Amalakites, he saw Aharon's rod bud and send forth flowers and ripe almonds in a single night; he saw the ground open up to swallow Korach and his followers; he saw water gush forth from a rock and bring life giving water to two million people. And yet, with all he saw and accomplished, he was humble enough to pray and intercede for those who made his life a misery.

So where am I going with this news recap and mini-biographies of David and Moshe? Right here, to Psalm 91.

Psa 91:1 You who live in the shelter of `Elyon, who spend your nights in the shadow of Shaddai,

2 who say to YHVH, "My refuge! My fortress! My God, in whom I trust!" -

3 he will rescue you from the trap of the hunter and from the plague of calamities;

4 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his truth is a shield and protection.

5 You will not fear the terrors of night or the arrow that flies by day,

6 or the plague that roams in the dark, or the scourge that wreaks havoc at noon.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it won't come near you.

8 Only keep your eyes open, and you will see how the wicked are punished.

9 For you have made YHVH, the Most High, who is my refuge, your dwelling-place.

10 No disaster will happen to you, no calamity will come near your tent;

11 for he will order his angels to care for you and guard you wherever you go.

12 They will carry you in their hands, so that you won't trip on a stone.

13 You will tread down lions and snakes, young lions and serpents you will trample underfoot.

14 "Because he loves me, I will rescue him; because he knows my name, I will protect him.

15 He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him when he is in trouble. I will extricate him and bring him honor.

16 I will satisfy him with long life and show him my salvation."

For the rest of our days, be they long or short, we will see terrors that fly by night and arrows that fly by day. We will see plagues; we will see those we know, dropping – either physically or spiritually; we will see ourselves rescued, protected and extricated from calamities. We will see long lives, blessed with honor. We will see Yah's salvation, if only we would live in His shelter (in Hebrew makhaseh [Strong's H4268] an extension of khasah [H2620] a place one flees to for protection; a place of hope, refuge and trust). Go there. Stay there.


And give no thought to tomorrow. Today has trouble enough already.


Shalom b'shem Sar Shalom / Peace in the Name of the Prince of Peace,

yocheved