Tag: safe

Summer Psalms: Shielded

~ Barbara ~ 3 Comments

Psalm 18 is one of my favorites because its assurances give my heart courage. Complementing last week’s focus that God keeps us safe, Psalm 18 affirms that we are shielded from our enemy. Let these verses assure your heart:

  • “The Lord is my shield.” As One who shields us, God puts Himself between us and the threat. He meets the danger we face and protects us from the blow. As our shield, He minimizes our wounds and saves our lives. (v2)
  • “He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.” He protects us by giving us a safe place to hide. The only requirement is that we run to Him to take advantage of that refuge and hide behind His shield of protection. (v30)
  • “You give me Your shield of victory.” (v35) The Lord is always the victor, and His shield assures that He includes us in that victory. Are we under fire? Yes, but we are victorious because we are His.

Because God is our shield, we enjoy the other “S” words in Psalm 18:

  • He is our salvation.
  • He supports us.
  • He brings us to a spacious (safe) place.
  • He strengthens us to scale a wall. (My favorite!)
  • He enables us to stand on mountaintops. (Maybe that’s my favorite.)
  • He sustains us.
  • He stoops down to make us great! (I can hardly take this in.)
  • He subdues nations under us.
  • He saves us from our enemies.

My friends, do not fear what you see. You are guarded, covered, protected.

The Lord is our Shield.

Image from Kar3nt at Pixabay.com

Summer Psalms: Surrounded

~ Barbara ~ 3 Comments

In a warfare context, “surrounded” sounds threatening, but in a social setting, we are comforted when surrounded by friends. That is the same relief we enjoy when we learn that God surrounds us. He protectively encircles us, lovingly enfolds us, and faithfully encloses us in safety.

The news reports much about being surrounded by danger as wars rage around the globe and social wars disturb America. But there is One who surrounds us and protects us. He is before us, behind us, above us, and beneath us—all around us.

Let these verses from the Psalms comfort you:

You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head. Psalm 139:5

He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Psalm 91:4

I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:8

Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,
    so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever. Psalm 125:2

I Have a Shepherd

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

I suspect Psalm 23 may be the best known of all psalms. Often read at funerals, it wraps around us like a familiar, cozy afghan. But the comfort it’s designed to give goes far deeper. Like the stitches woven to create our favorite blanket, the psalmist wove words to cover us with far-reaching assurances. It deserves a deeper look and meditative understanding. Over the coming weeks we will do just that. Get ready to nestle yourself under its covering.

“The Lord is my Shepherd.” Lord is understood as one who has power and authority over others, a ruler to whom allegiance and service is due. In the best case scenario, such a lord would be benevolent, caring for those under his leadership. In the Christian’s case, our Lord is that and more, so much more. Our Lord is a shepherd who lovingly tends to the needs of His people—but we’ll discuss Shepherd later.

Submitting to the care of a lord can offer peace or anxiety, depending on his goodness and our trust. The Lord spoken of in Psalm 23 is good and reliable. We will see that as we progress through the psalm, but at this point we simply need to recognize Him as Lord and, more than that, “The Lord.”

He is above all others, preeminent and unsurpassed. There is no authority that can challenge Him—important to remember in our troubling times. He has the ultimate power, the highest purpose, the perfect plan, the final say. He is The Lord of all lords.

When you read Psalm 23:1, savor these first two words—no lovingly crafted afghan can compare to the comfort found there.

Photo by Sally Teschon

Finding Hope, 65 Meditations for a Broken Heart by Barbara Higby