Ralph’s sermon on Sunday night was based on Psalm 91:

‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” ‘(Ps 91:1-4)

Abiding under the shadow of the Almighty provides divine protection and provision and results in our delight. The psalmists knew what it was to abide in God: “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings” (Ps 17:8) Living with God’s presence is not something we should take for granted, but just as the Israelites experienced the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night to guide them through the wilderness, so we too can walk in the light of God’s presence, becoming, as a result, a feasting and a fighting people.

God provided food for His people in the wilderness: daily manna, quail, water even in the desert. Jesus is the Bread of Life who feeds us daily. Just as we need good food to keep us healthy and strong, so we need good spiritual food to keep us spiritually strong.

The journey in the wilderness was not all about food, however. There were enemies to fight, such as the Amalekites at Rephidim (Exodus 17). Moses prayed and the Israelites fought and the Amalekites were defeated. As a result, Moses built an altar called ‘The Lord is my banner’ (Exodus 17:15) There is victory in abiding in God.