You Are Covered

In this time of ongoing concerns and at times fear, we who are the subculture of Healthcare providers; are trained to use PPE.  You know “Personal Protective Equipment.  PPE along with “masks” have been in high demand, so much so, that there has been a shortage and/or delays in getting an order for them.  

Yes, PPE is not, and should not be something Healthcare workers take for granted.  It is to protect the worker as well as the patient, “Don’t go in without it.  Yet, I want to inform you of another “PPE” that you should not start your day without. 

As a Chaplain, who daily offers encouraging words and spiritual support to those we serve, but also to those of my Hospice team.  It dawned on me that there is a natural/professional understanding of “PPE,” and also a “Spiritual one”. 

As Christians, we believe in God and receive salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  We are guided by and embrace the truth of the holy scriptures.  They give us hope and we embrace the promises that reveal God in many facets, from the book of Genesis through Revelations.  

One such passage is found in the book of Psalms.  It is a familiar one for many, it is Psalm 91.  Scholars report Moses to be the author of this Psalm.  The first two verses convey a confidence that 1. “He who dwells in the secret place of the most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”. 2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. What does reveal in relation to our spiritual PPE?

The first “P” stands for our personal relationship with God, through his son Jesus Christ.  The scriptures reveal, and I am paraphrasing, “No one Comes to the Father without going through the son” (John 14:6).  This speaks to “relationship”.  We can take confidence that God is with us and we abide under His providential love and care. 

The second “P” reminds us of “Peace”.  I am sure all of us can take a bountiful measure of this. “For he will be in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Him” (Isa. 26:3). Don’t stress keep your mind on Him.

“E” is for ‘Everlasting’.  How do we describe “everlasting”?  It means enduring, not ceasing, eternal, permanent and unending.  Thus, His faithfulness, grace, mercy, and love are “Everlasting”!

While we continue in our day to day care of others or whatever our day brings, we can take courage, stay calm, have hope and assurance that the Lord is with us. Vs2. Reminds us to put our trust in Him.  A “refuge and fortress”, sounds like protection to me. Therefore, as you start your day; make sure you have your spiritual “PPE”, because there will be nothing you will face that the Lord cannot see you through.

Prayer:  Most gracious and Heavenly Father, I am grateful that you have provided us with spiritual “PPE”. You are the great “I AM,” and we can be confident that your promises and presence can give us the strength, compassion, love and dedication to serve with excellence, those who you have allowed us to care for.  Bless us, as we go forward each day, and may we never forget that we are covered with “personal relationship in you, peace when our minds are on you, and the truth of your promises that are “everlasting to everlasting”.