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.