You Are A Shield — Psalms 33:18-22
February 8, 2014 by
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
A Shield of God
February 7, 2014 by
Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy;
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waiteth for the Lord: He is our Help and our Shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His Holy name.
Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in Thee.
Psalms 33:18-33
Have you ever wanted something so bad you could taste it? I have. I live sandwiched in between four states that have the lottery. Oh, that temptation to gamble! I will go ahead and admit I have bought my share of lottery tickets. (Shame on me.) However, I have never won. I can already know that I never will. My odds are probably greater of winning Publisher’s Clearing House than winning the lottery. I tell people this as the reason why I have never won and will probably never win: I fear God too much! (And He knows that by winning the lottery I would have given into temptation and the Devil). He is ever watching out for those who fear and love Him. He gives them what they need and when they need it. He never leaves us no matter what we are going through.
If we trust in God then He becomes our Shield as we traverse through life. He looks out for us and protects us from that which could harm us. Too many times people have come into a vast sum of money without it being an inheritance, and the money ruins their lives. God wants us to meet Him halfway and work for what we have. He provides for us every day.
In all circumstances take up the Shield of faith,
with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
Ephesians 6:16
When we accept Jesus, we are shielded with this Shield of faith from God. He shields us from all that could harm us or ruin us. He is our Rock. He shows us His mercy by being there for us when we most need it or are the most tempted. I know that I have been tempted, but thanks to the Shield of faith that I have, I know that God is going to protect me from harm and bring me through the many trials and tribulations of life.
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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for shielding us from harm. I wear the Shield of faith every day because I know that You are there to protect me and help me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Our Part
February 6, 2014 by
We put our hope in the Lord. He is our Help and our Shield.
Psalm 33:20
I absolutely love that God is my Help, Shield, Provider, Comforter, Banner…and the list goes on. I love when situations seem impossible and God shows Himself mighty! I love God’s attention to detail and seeing, mostly in hindsight, how the pieces were all laid out to accomplish whatever feat God had planned.
One other thing I love, but dislike at the same time, is free will. Odd? Since I can remember I’ve had a fascination with how people think, and why people behave and make the decisions they do. You know that childhood phase when “why?” is the default question to everything? I never grew out if it.
We put our hope in the Lord. He is our Help and our Shield.
God IS our Help and Shield, but we also have a personal responsibility in our relationship with God. My pastor says preparation is our part and victory is God’s part. I have talked to many a women who pray and read God’s word, but who don’t take action.
What I mean is this: I can pray until I’m blue in the face for roses to grow in my front yard, but until I plant a rosebush…it’s not likely to happen. I have to do something. We can work against God. Might not be intentional, but we can. Doing nothing (or if you prefer terms such as laziness, procrastination, lack of self control, simple ignorance) are all counter-productive to God’s work in our lives.
Nehemiah understood that God had a part and he had a part. During the rebuilding of the wall, Nehemiah and the builders angered some important people! They angered them so much that those people began plotting against them (Nehemiah 4:8). And what did they do?
…But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
Verse 9
If you read on, the enemy learns that God frustrated their plans. And from then on half the men worked and the other half were armed, standing guard. A man part and a God part.
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Lord, thank You for being my Help and my Shield. Thank You for providing me with Your Word which is wisdom for my living. You teach me daily how am I to live my life and with the right attitude. And You guide me. Continue to lead me, Lord, and show me areas where You may be waiting for action on my part. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
He is Our Help and Our Shield
February 5, 2014 by
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy,
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, just as we hope in You.
Psalms 33:18-22
In November I started studying for my Master’s degree. And, knowing this would not be the easiest task I set out to accomplish, I began to pray and seek God in this decision because it would be a commitment from myself and my family. I turned to the Psalms because of the message it speaks to the hearts of God’s children. I needed hope, I needed reassurance, and I needed to feel God’s love in all of this.
There are many aspects of David’s Psalms that I truly enjoy! Not only do I enjoy the words, but thrive on them when I go to read them. His soothing words are filled with love and peace, while also reminding me of the realness of the world we live in. The beauty of his songs helps to remind us that what we’ve been looking for our entire lives—hope, security, and joy—are actually gifts given to us by God. Gifts that we haven’t had to search for…gifts that we are entitled to because we are sons and daughters of the Most High.
He IS our Help and our Shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him.
So many changes happen in our lives on a daily basis that the reassurance of these words is almost necessary, and the great thing is that we don’t have to look far. We simply need to open up the manual He gave us and read. Soak in the words He gave to David and allow the hope, security and joy that flow from the pages.
On the nights when I am up writing papers while my house sleeps peacefully, I remember that He is right next to me, {He is my Help and my Shield}. When I am at the grocery store figuring out what to make for dinner, along with all of the other moms in the city, {He is my Help and my Shield}. When I am at work, and the tired feeling sets in, {He is my Help and my Shield}. There isn’t any area of life where He isn’t present.
In the tougher times, as well as on great days, remind yourself {He is my Help and my Shield}. Open to this Scripture passage and remember that God is always present and always on our side.
Let’s pray: Lord, the things You do for us cannot be counted. The love You give and the hope and security You provide can never be duplicated by anyone or anything. Thank You for Your hope and Your love. Thank You for being our Help and our Shield. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Hope For All
February 4, 2014 by
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him,
on those whose hope is in His unfailing love,
to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
We wait in hope for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
In Him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in His holy name.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in You.
Psalm 33:18-22
These verses are like a salve to soothe the hurt each of us have endured over time. We never feel like it will at that moment…but it does. One summer a friend of mine had a visit from her sister, brother-in-law and their three boys. It was a very sweet time of fellowship and new friendships were developed during the three week visit. It soon came time for them to return to their home and they were sorely missed.
By October, the middle boy became gravely ill. My friend left everything and went to be with her sister. Her nephew stayed in the hospital until the middle of November when, by God’s mercy, he succumbed to the disease. There was a webpage that was dedicated to having others offer prayer and support for this child and his family. People from all walks of life and from all over the world were praying for his recovery, but God knew better.
Through all of this my friend, whose faith had always seemed to be unshakable, began to question God’s. Why did He allow this to happen to her nephew, why didn’t He heal him, why are some healed and others die. What was different in his case? Did they not pray enough? Did they allow doubt to enter their hearts? Did they not ask the right church leaders to offer prayer? My heart hurt for my friend. I prayed for healing, but as they cut away the limbs of the child, I knew he might be better off in heaven where he could run and play with his dinosaurs.
1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” We may never understand why God chooses to heal one over the other. But we have to trust that He knows infinitely better than we. Our hope in these situations is that we will see each other in heaven, with our bodies whole—not scarred or broken—but made whole. Sometimes all we can do is pray and listen.
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Father, we love You and praise You. Give us the wisdom to know when to encourage, and when we just need to listen. There are questions we will never know the answer to until we see You in heaven. Help us to know when we need to question and when we just need to have a child-like trust that You are in control. Help us not to be angry with You, when things do not make sense in our limited human knowledge. You have a bigger plan that we cannot see. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Those Who Fear Him
February 3, 2014 by
Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy;
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
Psalms 33:18-19
While the eyes of the Lord are on all people (as in verses 14-15), they rest in a special way on those who fear Him. (Also Psalm 34:15 “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry…”)
‘God’s eye’ refers to God’s caring love and providential oversight of our lives—‘to deliver them from death and famine.’ This means that as long as we fear the Lord our hope in Him waits for Him and remains in His will. God will watch over and protect us so that we will not die unless it be according to His plan.
Recently I read a story that is just too good to keep to myself, so I’d like to share it with you this week.
“The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.
One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt that the worst had happened and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, ‘God! How could you do this to me?’
Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him!
‘How did you know I was here?’ asked the weary man of his rescuers. ‘We saw your smoke signal,’ they replied.”
Sometimes it’s hard to see God’s hand at work in your life. He may seem hidden, far away, or totally out of reach, yet nothing could be farther from the truth! Your tender Savior is always watching over you, and always at work behind the scenes. As you pass through the waters and look back, you’ll see the way He worked on your behalf. Remember, although you might not be able to see His hand, you can trust His heart.
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Our Father, we thank You for Your eyes that are watching over us as Your own chosen generation, a royal priesthood. Make us a people of Your heart by increasing our faith and trust in You always. Help us understand Your oracles and remain under Your wings forever. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
With His Help
February 2, 2014 by
Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our Help and our Shield.
Psalm 33:20
I read this verse, and I’m simply grateful that God’s always there to help me! The Lord is always my Help and my Shield. Friends, this is huge! If you are a believer, you too, can say the same! (When we call out to Him in prayer, serve Him, express our hearts about God to others, face struggles, and do life, HE IS WITH US AND WILL HELP US. WE ARE NOT ALONE! The Holy Spirit lives inside of us, and we have HIS POWER working in us. Let’s be amazed and thankful for that every day.)
Bow to Him, and be amazed by Him! (He will help you.)
Because He is the great and loving God that He is, friends, go to Him. Yield your heart to Him first each day! Ask the Holy Spirit to let you realize He’s your Help and Shield in every possible way. Live each day/your life in a prayerful way.
Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Be strong in Him, and be amazed by Him! (He will help you.)
God is greater than any spiritual warfare that we may face! You will face it, as a believer. Be ready! Put on the shield of faith-believing in Him and what He can do. In fact, put on the whole Armor of God every day, and be strong in the Lord! He will protect you!
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Stand therefore, having as shoes for your feet,
having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith,
with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God,
praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication.
To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:10-18
Follow Him, and be amazed by Him! (He will help you.)
With the Holy Spirit living inside of me, sometimes, He wants me to “go out on a limb” for God’s glory. It may not be a popular place to be. It may take boldness and courage to go! It may not be safe! It may be lonely because others may not be with me! Some may not understand what I’m doing at first. But if that is where God wants me to go, I go because I love Him! He will help me as I go, whatever the situation is! (Lord, help me follow You wherever You lead me.)
When He has brought out all His own, He goes before them,
and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice.
John 10:4
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Lord, we love You. Let us recognize that You are our Help and Shield in every possible way. We desperately need You. Let us bow to You, be strong in You, and follow You—wherever You lead us—all for Your glory! In Jesus’ precious Name, I pray. Amen.
Unfailing Love
February 1, 2014 by
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
Your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
Psalms 36:5-7
“If God’s love is unfailing, then why does it <seem to> fail?” This seems like a silly question, but as I read the above passage, statements like “it’s not enough,” and “it doesn’t feel unfailing” arose in my mind.
Memories of heartache, depression and disappointment flooded to the surface. At first I was scared—those type of thoughts are not good and, according to what I had just read, they were contrary to the word of God. I fought the urge to stuff the thoughts. I wanted to ignore them, but also felt compelled to examine them and whether I believed them or not.
Failure in itself is very subjective. What one may see as a failure another sees as a success. I don’t know about you, but my feelings and God’s words often clash. Thankfully, God’s Truth also trumps my feelings. So, of course for comfort, I went to my Bible.
God’s love never fails. By definition it’s unfailing. But I found some people who momentarily felt like it did.
- Both Mary and Martha exclaimed (John 11), “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Even others in the crowd questioned, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” God’s love had failed…or so it seemed. We know that Lazarus was raised from the dead.
- The Israelites said, in Exodus 14, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt?” They were trapped by the Red Sea. God’s love had failed…or so it seemed. We know they crossed through the sea.
The more I thought on this concept of unfailing love, the more I realized that I myself have felt failed by God’s love, i.e., when He called me to Hermitage, alone and away from my support system. I felt failed then, but the Lord has showed me the truth of the this situation.
This is what it boils down to: the truth is that God’s Word is Truth. It says His love is unfailing…and so it is. Every situation needs to be viewed with this in mind and if you cannot see His truth, ask.
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Lord, thank You for awesomeness. Forgive me for the times when I momentarily allow my feelings to trump Your truth and when I make my circumstances bigger than Your awesome power. Thank You for Your unfailing love that never, ever, ever fails! And for Your faithfulness and reliability. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
Striving To Be On the Roof…and Then Some
January 31, 2014 by
Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
Your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O LORD.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
And you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
In your light do we see light.
Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
And your righteousness to the upright of heart!
Psalms 36:5-10
This psalm writer uses vivid imagery to describe God’s great steadfast love. To explain God’s love and faithfulness to the vast degree it is may be difficult, but we can try to do so to others – hoping the Holy Spirit will allow them to hear and receive what’s shared so they see their desperate need for a Savior!
I keep focusing on the verse that says, “Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you…” and my heart is burdened for those who may not know God and may not know all the riches that are found in having a relationship with Him. (We, as believers “feast on the abundance of your house,” Lord.) Some of these riches are: peace, love, forgiveness, protection, guidance, abundant and eternal life with Him, comfort, blessings, and the Holy Spirit! I hope you have a deep longing to be near Jesus. If you are already a believer, get on your heart/mind someone who may not have that same longing as you finish reading this piece. Are you burdened for someone? Are you willing to go “to the roof?”
In Mark 2, friends of a paralytic man wanted to get their friend near Jesus so he would be healed.
And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven…I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home’
Mark 2:2-5, 11
And he did! *Read Mark 2:1-12 for the complete account.
Friends, for some of you to be near Jesus, it‘s as easy as crying out to God asking for forgiveness of sins and asking Him to come into your heart to transform your life and reign as King and Lord! In the account in Mark, friends were willing to remove a roof for their friend to be near Jesus! Are you willing to “get on the roof” for your friends? (Are we sharing how God changed us and sharing with others how their lives can be changed because of Jesus?)
If your relationship with Jesus was described as a metaphor of a three-story house, are you “on the roof?”
THE HOUSE:
1st floor: You’ve prayed and asked Jesus to come into your life and heart as you believe, confess and repent of your sins, and you know Jesus as Savior and Lord. You have the Holy Spirit inside of you.
2nd floor: You are continuing to pray in your relationship with the Lord. You’re reading and studying God’s Word to let your heart be saturated with His Word.
3rd floor-You’re still covering those things on the first and second floors, AND you’re going to church to fellowship, encourage, and grow and learn with other believers.
Rooftop: You’re covering all that is in the first 3 floors and sharing with others about Jesus and what He’s doing in your life.
Rooftop with a megaphone: You’re encouraging others to share about God’s steadfast love – where they are and across the world!
I hope as Christians we desire to do more for Jesus! If we are changed, we cannot be silent or do nothing. If we are changed, let us proclaim it, and encourage other believers to do so!
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Dear Lord, help us all to be “rooftop” Christians and then some—only by Your power and only because of Your great love. Give us what we need Lord each day. We love You, and we praise You. We need You and so do those around us. Empower us to share of Your love with people in the ways and places you set before us. In Jesus’ precious Name we pray. Amen.
Faithfulness
January 30, 2014 by
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
Your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They feast on the abundance of Your house;
You give them drink from Your river of delights.
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.
Continue Your love to those who know You,
Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
Psalms 36:5-10
Our God loves us in such a powerful and wonderful way. From the beginning of time He has desired to have an intimate relationship with all that dwell here. As the psalmist says, “His love reaches to the heavens.” I wonder, could ours reach that far?
A friend of mine and her husband were awaiting genetic testing results for a disease his mother and aunt have. The period of waiting was beginning to take its toll on each of them. What with their already demanding work (they are both in the medical field), and raising a 12 year old daughter, they have their share of commitments. Finally the results came in—he had no indicators of the disease and all of the symptoms of the disease left hm. I know some of you are thinking, “If he was/is a believer, then why was he worrying.” It is mainly because he does/did not have a close relationship with God. He could have focused on the positive outcome, rather than the negative which would have allowed them both to have truly “lived” this past year.
As our lives continue and we are faced with new challenges and concerns, we need to remember to keep God first in our thoughts. It is a learned thought process, one that is cultivated, and should be encouraged in others. Our God delights in us when we truly seek Him and want to know Him.
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Father, thank You for Your provisions for us Your children. We want to be jealous for You, we want to know You more fully as we begin this new year. Show us places where we can improve and where we can be brave enough to share our hearts with You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
