Tag: victory

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

Pure Joy!

~ Barbara ~ 1 Comment

Where do you see the most smiles?  At baby showers? Birthday parties? Weddings? Many celebrations are joy-filled, with participants wearing wide grins. But a few days ago, we attended our grandson Ty’s graduation from Liberty University, and I do believe the big smiles on the graduates’ faces topped those at any other type of celebration. They were contagious; everyone was smiling!

The significance of a graduation is multifaceted. The accomplishment of passing tests and writing papers is combined with a student’s first foray from home. Now they turn their tassels and toss their hats in triumph, anticipating a future that will make use of their achievements. No wonder smiles beam from every face.

If you know me at all, you can anticipate where I’m going with this.

I envision the day our smiles will exceed those of the class of 2026. We too will be robed, not in throw-away gowns but in righteousness. We will have made it, written our stories, passed the tests, and graduated with honors.

We will hear, “Well done.” We will toss our crowns before our Father. Our “tassels” will turn from the earthly war we waged to the heavenly victory we face.

Full, complete, unmarred joy will be ours. Pure joy!

“Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.”
Matthew 5:12