Happy Friday and happy Memorial Day weekend! This is Michele journaling for you this morning. Thank you, Chris, for this opportunity! I am reading Psalm 3 and focusing on how secure I am in God's hands. The verses that speak most to my heart this morning are:
But, you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain. (vs 3-4)
I don't know about you, but I sure need to know that I have a shield around me to provide safety and security in this crazy, sinful world. There are some situations in my life that torment me and Satan uses them to try to discourage me and destroy my happiness. We all have situations in our lives that we wish were different, we wish we could change either for ourselves or for someone that we love deeply. It's easy to get discouraged and give up, but that is not what David did when he was running for his life from his enemies, even his own flesh and blood son! David sought the Lord, he knew where his shield and protection were found.
God never said that life would be easy, but he did say that we will never have to go it alone. Giving in to our enemies would only serve to lessen our dependence on God, our faith in our Savior, and our hope for what he is doing in our lives..........and that is just what our enemy wants to do. He will only succeed if we let him!!!
David, our psalmist, found himself running from enemies several times and he continually ran to his God where he found shelter and protection and strength to carry on. We need to follow his example! When life gets hard we have a shield, we have a God who looks down on us and answers our prayer. When our enemies shoot fiery arrows at us we have a shield around us!! Those arrows will only penetrate us if we give in and let them. Besides, I want to be a godly example to my enemies too. If I profess to be a Christian then my life and the way I handle situations should reflect that so that my enemies can see the hand of God in my life. If I just give in I'm not showing my trust that God will rescue me and hold my head high.
Lord, I need your protection and your strength!! Help me to run to you, to cry out to you and trust that you hear me and will answer my prayer. The enemy wants to ruin the blessings that you have provided for my life and he will try any way he can to rob me of them. I will seek you, I will trust you to guide my life and I will depend solely on you for the outcome. Protect others in my life who share in my suffering and give them strength, as well. The situations that we face do not always seem fair, but this is the stuff you use. Help me to remember that and to rest in your shelter and protection.
Please share with us how this Psalm spoke to your heart. We would love to hear your comments! Just choose anonymous in the drop down box and tell us what God is saying to you today. God bless you all and have a great day and a safe weekend!!
I can hear the meaning this psalm has for you in your words, Michele! I have felt like David many times in my own life, times when I was being dogged by problems that threatened my happiness and security. I have prayed the words of this psalm several times before. And here I am, still living and still blessed in so many ways! God has been my shield.
ReplyDeleteI like the contrast between lying down to sleep (v. 5) and trusting God to rise up (v. 7). That's what we have to do in many circumstances. Lie down and rest and leave it with God. Accept that we cannot change the circumstances or control what is happening. Set our minds at rest. Surrender the need to be in control and ask God to rise up and do what only he can. Trust him and lay our well-being on his shoulders. They're broad enough to handle it!
Thank you for your encouraging thoughts, Michele!