The Bible
– The
Good News Translation
5 Let all that
I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
6 He alone is
my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.
7 My victory
and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach
me.
8 O my people,
trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.
Thoughts:
When we think about the life of David we remember that from the
time he was just a young boy he placed his faith and strength in the hands of
the Lord – remember when he went to battle with the giant Philistine? David
faced many battles as Israel’s king, and he was able to place the battles
before God, seek His direction and in following God’s commands, David lead many
armies into successful battles. Many of the Psalms were written either in
preparation for battles, or in celebration and thanksgiving for successes in
battles. Now for those who are still trying to follow my line of thinking here,
you are probably saying under your breath that you are not a king, and you have
no armies to lead. But where God got my attention on this is that we almost
daily face battles of one type or another. For some, it may be jobs and
unreasonable supervisors, for others it might be family members, friends, co-workers
or just about anyone that Satan could send our way to test our faith in the
Lord. The big question, or challenge, for us to consider is: will these ‘battles’
result in the world seeing that we are just like them, in that we caved in to
jealousy, revenge, hatred or an attitude just like theirs, or will they see in
return: forgiveness; love; turning the other cheek; understanding and a
God-like attitude? You see, for us to truly be ‘little Christ’s’ (Christians)
then we must respond like Jesus would. If we say during the good times of life
that God is our Refuge and Strength, do we maintain that same truth when under
pressure or tested by Satan’s tactics, and our enemies are attacking from all
sides? Please re-read vs 8 and be reminded that God is saying through His
servant David, “Trust in the Lord at all times, for He (God) is our refuge (our
safe harbor) and our strength”, and we have nothing to fear!
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, it is easy for us to trust in You when we are on a
mountain top looking down on our ‘enemies’ or looking down on the completed
battle, but the challenge is for us to place our faith and trust in You before
we go to ‘battle’, or during the ‘battle’. Lord, we are reminded in Your Word
again today that You alone is God, yes over our good times, and the bad and the
challenging times. Please help Your weak-at-heart children to always place our faith in You and to look
to You for our guidance and victories. Way too often we try to take the wheel
back from You and drive this life-ship ourselves. Please forgive us, for we
should never forget that You are our Strength and our Refuge, a present help in
times of trouble and in need. Lord, my unsaved loved ones will not experience
this great Strength and Defender unless they have accepted You as their Lord
and Savior. Please, may it be so, even today? I humbly ask all this in Your
precious and all powerful name, Lord Jesus, AMEN!
NOTE: If you have been
challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak
with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or
encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words
underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote
the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to
read or pray.
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