Be still; know God

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Revelation 17-18;  Psalm 46
 
TO CHEW ON:"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble...
Be still and know that I am God..."Psalm 46:1,10a


Someone from the Sons of Korah wrote Psalm 46 to encourage and give hope to people who were in trouble. By the things the psalmist mentions it seems the trouble was war with another nation. The writer begins with a declaration about who God is:

"God is our refuge  — shelter, protection, fortress, hope, place of trust — and our strength  — power, security — in trouble" 

He reminds the people about the security of the city (Psalm 46:4-5). It has an underground stream that provides water even if the city's main water supply is cut off by siege. (Though there is no actual river flowing through Jerusalem, "...it is believed by many that there is a subterranean water supply that is the source of various fountains and pools in Jerusalem" New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p. 723.) God's presence in her makes her unshakeable in case of battering. He will help her at sunrise, which is a likely time for the enemy to attack.

He says more about the identity of God (Psalm 46:7-9). He calls Him Yahweh Sabaoth — the Lord of Hosts. Remember the story of Elisha in a city besieged by  Syria's army? In the morning, Elisha's servant saw the army and was afraid. But Elisha drew his attention to another army — an army of heavenly hosts: "Do not fear for those who are with us are more than those who are with them" - 2 Kings 6:8-17.

He also calls God the "God of Jacob." This reminds them of their history with God when, in the past, He preserved their forefather Jacob and his descendants. 

In the light of all this, God Himself steps to the mic, telling the readers/listeners: "Be still and know that I am God."

The comment writer of my Bible suggests this is "God addressing the wicked warring nations." That may be so. But I think God is also addressing the worried, wailing people. He tells them to still the fearful voices around them and in their own heads, perhaps even to shush their own ideas and suggestions to God about how He could help them.

We may not be living in a city surrounded by an enemy army but our lives can feel just as attacked. Circumstances, demands of home, family and church, sickness, sandwich pressures (simultaneously looking after kids and parents), the clamor around us (internet, TV, radio, the constant demands of social networking via the phone, Facebook, Twitter) can make a mighty din, causing us stress, anxiety and fear.

At such times, let's use the encouragements of Psalm 46. We can:

• Know our God — a shelter, strength, the Lord of Hosts.

• Remember our history with God. ("He is the God of ___" [insert your name here]).

• Drink from the river that flows within — get strength from the Bible and the Holy Spirit's application of what we read.

• Be still — turn off the noise in our environment, refuse to listen to the chatter in our heads, even silence our own suggestions to God while we wait for His solutions (Exodus 14:13-14).

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to take advantage of what is available in You when I'm feeling stressed, anxious, surrounded by demands, or trouble. Help me to be still and wait for You to work.  Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 46

************Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Are you covered?

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings  15-17; Psalm 105

TO CHEW ON: “He spread a cloud for a covering…” Psalm 105:39

Psalm 105 is a praise poem recalling the ways God has helped Israel in the past. On the list is the cloud that accompanied Israel throughout their wilderness wanderings.

It was a cloud that served many purposes:

• It gave them direction, i.e. went before them telling them where to go. Exodus 13:21

• It stopped them. When the cloud came to rest, they were to stop and not move on again until the cloud lifted - Numbers 9:17-23.

• It gave them light at night, so they could travel by day or by night, to avoid the desert’s scorching heat - Numbers 13:21.

• It shielded and hid them when the Egyptians pursued them. It was dark on the Egyptian side but light on the Israelite side. Its presence gave them light and time to cross the miraculously dried up Red Sea at night while obscuring the Egyptian’s way - Exodus 14:19,20.

The psalmist calls it a “covering.”

God provided other coverings for people as well.

• He covered Adam and Eve with clothes, animal skin coverings after their disobedience stole their innocence form them (Genesis 3:21).

• His covering or protection is sometimes referred to as wings. The picture is of a mother bird sheltering her young (Psalm 57:1) or rescuing them (Deuteronomy 32:11). Boaz referred to God’s sheltering wings when he singled out Ruth with an invitation to glean in his field (Ruth 2:12).

• Bible writers also refer to God’s covering as a shelter or refuge from the elements of life and nature (Isaiah 25:4).

• And then there are all the references to God covering His people in pure, beautiful clothes—way nicer clothes than those skin tunics of Adam and Eve:

- Robes of righteousness and salvation (Isaiah 61:10).
- Beautiful embroidered garments (Ezekiel 16:10).
- “Best robes” - Luke 15:22.
- Wedding clothes - Matthew 22:11.
- White clothes - Revelation 7:9
- “Fine linen clean and bright” - Revelation 19:8.

Who would not welcome such covering? Sadly, not everyone. In our reading chapters from 2 Kings today, we see how Israel threw off God's covering by disobeying Him and turning to idol worship. Finally God was through with them. We read that God "... removed them from His sight... rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers until He had cast them from His sight - 2 Kings 17:18-20.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem, the people who spurned God’s wings of covering with their rejection of His prophets, including the final One—Jesus the Son - Matthew 23:37-39.

He reprimanded the  lukewarm church of Laodicea for their delusions of needing nothing and counseled them to “'… buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich and white garments that you may be clothed that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed…'” - Revelation 3:17,18.

So, how do we put ourselves under God’s covering, under His protection, in His clothes? Revelation 3 continues on with this answer from Jesus Himself.

We invite Him into our lives: “'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me'” - Revelation 3:21.

Then we listen to His voice and follow Him.  Jesus again: "'My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand'" John 10:27,28. 

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to live constantly under Your covering, in Your clothes. Please show me areas where self will, rebellion, laziness, self-deception, impatience, etc. leave me naked and vulnerable. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 105

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Browse in your Father's clothes closet

Image: Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Leviticus 1-4;  Psalm 30

TO CHEW ON: "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness." Psalm 30:11


What are you wearing right now? Chances are it's something comfortable, suitable to the temperature in the room, car, outdoors or wherever you are, and was chosen with various things in mind.

Clothing does so much. It protects and warms us (or is scant enough that we don't get too warm). It preserves our modesty and may hide what we consider physical flaws and shortcomings. We choose our clothes with many things in mind—comfort, style, the activities we're planning to do wearing them, season of the year, color. They give subtle messages about our status and wealth, whether we're neat or sloppy, how we feel about the occasion and the company we're in.

We find many references to clothes in the Bible, both literal and symbolic.

Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, they felt the need for physical clothes. The patriarchs tore their clothes to demonstrate grief. The clothes of the priests were rich with meaning and symbolism.

The many things that clothes do for and say about us give the clothing metaphors and symbols that run through the Bible added significance.

• God dresses like a warrior - Isaiah 59:17.

• His provision in the Old Testament is symbolized by the priests who were "clothed in salvation" - 2 Chronicles 6:41.  (As we read today in Leviticus 1-4 about about the offerings the priests had to make so that sinful people could approach a holy God, we can only imagine how bloody and soiled their priestly clothes must have become--a reminder that salvation is costly.)

• God exchanges our filthy spiritual clothes for clean ones - Zechariah 3:4.
• He cleans up prostitute Israel and dresses her in embroidered cloth, sandals of badger skin, fine linen and silk - Ezekiel 16:10.
• He takes off the pigsty rags of the prodigal and puts on the best robes, rings and sandals of a son - Luke 15:22.
• He gives those who trust in Him clothes of praise, salvation, righteousness (Isaiah 61:3,10) and in our focus verse, "gladness" - Psalm 30:11.

• His children are dressed like king's kids.
• The royal daughter wears clothing "woven with gold" - Psalm 45:13. 
• The training of our parents is jewelry—"a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck" - Proverbs 1:9.  
• Wisdom is our head-ornament and crown - Proverbs 4:9.

• God gives us a whole wardrobe for life on His side.
• There is armor for fighting - Ephesians 6:13-17.
• There is the unencumbered spandex of the Christian race - Hebrews 12:1.
• And especially for women, there are the clothes of good works, godliness (1 Timothy 2:10), and a quiet and gentle spirit (1 Peter 3:4).

• To meet Him someday, he provides a wedding garment (Matthew 22:11) of "fine linen, clean and bright" (Revelation 19:8).

I ask myself, and you, what spiritual clothes are we wearing? Have we chosen to claim all God's promises and let Him take off our sackcloth of worry, fear, care, and life-distraction? Have we browsed through His rich clothes closet for all that's available to us?


PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for all that these spiritual clothes signify of salvation, protection, purity, plenty, preparedness, identity as Your children, and more. Help me, by faith, to put on clothes from Your closet today. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 30

The Bible Project VIDEO: Leviticus (Read Scripture Series)



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Count a different kind of blessing

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TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 89:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance." Psalm 89:15

When we feel discouraged or stressed or sorry for ourselves, we're often encouraged to count our blessings. Our list usually includes blessings of the physical life—food, shelter, clothes, family, friends, etc. But do we ever go beyond to also count our spiritual blessings?

Ethan, the Ezrahite, writer of Psalm 89, sets a good example for us in Psalm 89:15-18. Some blessings he names:

1. Familiar with the sound of worship: "Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound." For the Israelites that would have been singing, shouting, and instruments like the harp, the trumpet, and the horn (Psalm 98:4-6).

2. Life directions: "They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance."

3. An association with a God of great reputation: "In Your name they rejoice all day long."

4. Worshiping a God who is righteous: "And in Your righteousness they are exalted."

5. The ability to glorify God through successes: "For You are the glory of their strength."

6. Divine favor: "In Your favor our horn is exalted."

7. Divine protection: "For our shield belongs to the Lord."

We could add these blessings to our count. Pause, sometime, to listen to the sweet sound of worship coming from the sanctuary of your church during a morning service. The music of our contemporaries worshiping and adoring God is a beautiful thing!

Similarly we can thank God for all the other blessings Ethan names—the insight we get  from the Bible on how to live, that our God is strong, righteous, gives favor, protection, and enables us to live for His glory. In fact, without these blessings as the foundation of our lives, I would suggest that the other blessings we so easily list would be mere shells of themselves.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the spiritual blessings that are the foundation of, and give significance to, all my other blessings. May I never take them for granted. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God's seal--our identification and protection

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 6:1-17

TO CHEW ON: “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’” Revelation 6:2,3

What does the forehead seal in Revelation 6:2-3 remind you of? The forehead seal from the dark side? “He [the beast] causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, slave and free, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads’” - Revelation 13:16,17.

The seal of Revelation 6 is not that seal. It is God’s seal of identification and protection on those who are His. My Bible’s study notes explain:

“Those sealed by the Holy Spirit are God’s possession, in dramatic contrast to those who bear the mark of the beast - Revelation 13:16,17)” Earl Wesley Morey, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1827.

God placing a seal on those who are His occurs in other places in the Bible as well.

• In Ezekiel it marks those who are troubled by and grieve over Israel’s idolatry - Ezekiel 9:4.

• Paul mentions a seal on Christ-followers several times in his letters. He sees this seal as the Holy Spirit:

“God … who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” - 2 Corinthians 1:22 (all emphases added).

In Him … also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise - Ephesians 1:13.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption - Ephesians 4:30.

• Then we have these believers sealed in Revelation by God against the apocalyptic events to come.

“He who overcomes, … I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God the New Jerusalem … And I will write on him My new name - Revelation 3:12.

• Scorpion-like locusts are released by an angel but not allowed to harm any with the seal of God on their foreheads - Revelation 9:4.

• Those 144,000 sealed in Revelation 6 (our passage) appear with the Lamb before God on Mount Zion “… having His Father’s name written on their foreheads” - Revelation 14:1.

• Finally, John in his Revelation vision sees God’s servants, the sealed, assemble before God in the New Jerusalem: “They shall see His face and His name shall be on their foreheads - Revelation 22:4.

What a grand thread to follow today! May we all rest secure in our identification with the name of Jesus and its power and protection, stamped on us by the indwelling Holy Spirit!


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, though I only understand imperfectly this concept of being sealed by You, help me to enflesh what I do understand of it. Thank You for Your powerful name and Your Spirit and how You have sealed me. Amen.  

MORE: All Saints’ Day

Today the church celebrates All Saints’ Day. The day’s liturgy begins with this prayer:

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Protection

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 14:19-15:5

TO CHEW ON: “… and the pillar of cloud went before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one and it gave light by night to the other so that the one did not come near the other all that night.” Exodus 14:19,20

When there was absolutely no human escape from the fast-approaching Egyptian army, God showed His hand. The cloud that had gone before the Israelites to guide them now parked itself between them and the Egyptians. In this way God bought hours and hours of time for the great multitude to cross the dried sea bed - Exodus 14:21,22.

There are other times in the Bible when God interposed Himself between His people and trouble. Some means He used:

• Paralysing fear

Back in Genesis at the beginning of the nation, God put fear in the people that had dealings with the sons of Jacob so that they didn’t get hassled - Genesis 35:5.

Again when Israel was poised on the brink of Canaan, spies who hid in Rahab’s house heard from her how terrified the peple living on the west of the Jordan River were of the Israelites - Joshua 2:11.

• A heavenly army

Elisha prayed for his servant to see a heavenly guard protecting them from the Syrian army - 2 Kings 6:17.

• Blindness

During the same incident above, God struck the Syrian soldiers with blindness so they were at Elisha’s mercy - 2 Kings 6:18.

• Protection

God protected the returning exiles during their long trek from Babylon to Israel - Ezra 8:31. Perhaps you’ve prayed for a “hedge of protection.” Are you aware that when you ask that you are using an expression coined by Satan (Job 1:10)?

• Closed lion mouths

When Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, God’s angel closed their mouths - Daniel 6:22.

We get the picture, don’t we? God overcame the most daunting foes in whatever way suited the situation. And the result was two-fold: God’s people were spared and God was worshiped and lifted up: Exodus 15:1-5; Joshua 2:11b, Ezra 8:35; Daniel 6:26,27.

Let’s similarly keep trusting God for His care and protection. When we get it, let’s not attribute it to luck or coincidence but give Him glory.

PRAYER: Dear Father, I’m sure I don’t realize the extent to which You protect me daily. Thank You! Help me to be ever mindful of Your protecting and keeping hand in my circumstances, and to give You the credit. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

One Shepherd

"Separating Sheep from Goats"
(Matthew 25:32) from
Treasures of the Bible

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ezekiel 34:16-31

TO CHEW ON: "I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My Servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd." Ezekiel 34:23


By Ezekiel's time David had been dead for hundreds of years. So what does Ezekiel mean here, speaking about God's servant David being their shepherd?

Bible students interpret "my servant David" non-literally to mean the promised Saviour or Messiah that would descend from David's line (2 Samuel 23:5; 1 Kings 2:45). It was a line God promised would never end (Psalm 89:3-4).

"This is clearly fulfilled in Jesus Christ" writes Roy Edmund Hayden in my Bible's notes on Ezekiel.

How wonderfully Jesus fulfills this prophecy. When we study His life, ministry, and teaching, we see that He is everything the irresponsible shepherds are not:

• He is compassionate with the helpless - Matthew 9:35.

• He is a seeking shepherd of both flocks—the Jews and Gentiles - Matthew 15:24; John 10:16.

• He knows His sheep - John 10:14-15, 27; Matthew 25:32).

• His sheep know Him and His voice - John 10:3,4, 5, 16, 27.

• He provides for and protects them - John 10:9,28.

• He lays down His life for them - John 10:17,18; Matthew 26:31.

• He is their just judge - Matthew 25:32-46.

Those of us who believe in Jesus all these many centuries later are also part of His flock—a flock made up of peoples from all nations (Ezekiel 34:11-13; John 10:16) and added to over centuries.

Our pastors and leaders are His under-shepherds now (John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:4).

And we look forward to a day when the beautiful scene Ezekiel paints, the peace and security (Ezekiel 34:25), the plenty (Ezekiel 34:26,27,29), and the freedom (Ezekiel 34:27,28) will be realized in real time (Revelation 7:16,17).

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your shepherding of people over the centuries. Help me to hear Your voice and follow You through my life till the time I see You face to face. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The supernatural good-news life

Paul and the Viper*

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Mark 16:9-20

TO CHEW ON: " ' And these signs will follow those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents, and if they will drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.' " Mark 16:17-18

What an incredible list of predictions Jesus makes here, of signs that will follow those who spread the gospel:

1. They will have power over the demonic realm (Mark 16:17).
Luke recounts an almost humorous incident showing the unique power that Jesus' followers have in this area. When some Jewish exorcists use the name of Jesus without the power of true faith in Him, the demon responds: "Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are you?" Then the possessed man beats up the exorcists - Acts 19:13-16.


2, They will have new powers of communication: " ' … speak with new tongues' " (Mark 16:17).
I understand this promise to involve more than only the glossolalia of the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). It is that for sure, i.e. the power to communicate in languages not learned. But I believe it is also the tongue used in private prayer and self-edification (1 Corinthians 14:2,4, 14-16). And, I would submit, we could also make a case for the new tongue including the tongue of boldness, so evident in the early Christians (Acts 4:31).

3. They will have remarkable protection (Mark 16:18).
The experience of Paul in the Island of Malta brings Jesus' words to life about protection from snakes (Acts 28:3-6). And to the protection stories from Acts we could add the testimony of Christians experiencing unusual protection through the centuries. In this department, I love the saying attributed to Henry Martyn: "I am immortal until God's work for me to do is done. The Lord reigns" (from Inspirational Quotes).

4. They will have unusual power to heal (Mark 16:18).
This comes true for the Apostles in Acts as we see them perform numerous healings, sometimes even raising people from the dead (Acts 3:7-11; 5:12-16; 9:3-9, 32-35, 39-42; Acts 14:8-18; 16:18; 20:8-12; 28:8-9).

The question I ask myself is, do these signs still follow the spread of the gospel today? Are these things our experience? Some have developed a hermeneutic which says the signs and wonders seen in Acts were only for that time. However the words we read today are attributed to Jesus. The evangelical church doesn't take His command to " ' preach the gospel to every creature' " as only for the apostolic time. So why do we often wave off the signs that confirm the gospel as meant exclusively for an earlier age?


PRAYER: Dear Lord, please confirm Your reality, power and word with signs and wonders again. Amen.

MORE: Modern prayer for spiritual awakening

Bible teacher Beth Moore has written an impassioned "Intercessory Prayer for Awakening." Read it HERE.

The Feast of St. Mark Evangelist.

Today the church celebrates the Feast of Mark the Evangelist, the author of the Gospel of Mark and today's Bible reading.

This Collect begins the day's liturgy:

 Almighty God, by the hand of Mark the evangelist you have given to your Church the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God: We thank you for this witness, and pray that we may be firmly grounded in its truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

* Illustration of "Paul and the Viper"
Illustration from Volume 10 of The Bible and its Story Taught by One Thousand Picture Lessons, edited by Charles F. Horne and Julius A. Bewer, published by Francis R. Niglutsch, New York, in 1910. Many of the original paintings were in color, but were published in this book in black and white.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

You are kept

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 121:1-8

TO CHEW ON: “The LORD is your keeper…” Psalm 121:5

The action of God toward us in Psalm 121 is “keep.” This psalm is full of the reminder that God keeps His people.

[Keeps—shamar—means to keep, guard, observe, have charge of, protect, guard, watch.]


It occurs six times in Psalm 121, translated (in the NKJV) as keeps, keeper, and preserve - Psalm 121:3-5; 7-8.


[The word keep in English is a verb and a noun with a multitude of meaning shades. Some that are particularly appropriate for its use here are: "to hold or retain in one’s protection, hold as one’s own, to maintain, to make good on a promise, to keep watch, to have care, charge, or custody of, to guard and protect, to take care of."]

All that is what God promises to do for us and to be to us: our Keeper.

We are in the company: 

Of Jacob, to whom God said: “I am with you and will keep you wherever you go…” Genesis 28:15.

Of the disciples hearing the prayer of Jesus: “‘Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me …’” John 17:11.

Of the early church reading Paul’s encouraging letters and in them reminded:

* We are guarded by the peace that comes after we have offloaded our concerns on God in prayer - Philippians 4:6,7.

* We are kept from the evil one - 2 Thessalonians 3:3.

* Our lives, committed to Jesus, are kept by the One whose keeping power reaches into eternity - 2 Timothy 1:12; Jude 1:24.

* We are kept by the power of God - 1 Peter 1:5

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Your promise to keep me. Help me to go through this day remembering that I am in Your custody. You hold, guard, protect, and care for me. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Coming full-circle

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ruth 1:1-22

TO CHEW ON: "Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. … Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem." Ruth 1:1,19

Today we begin reading the book of Ruth. The story starts with an Israeli man Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons Mahlon and Chilion. They leave their home town of Bethlehem for Moab because of a famine.

In Moab Elimelech dies, the boys marry Moabite girls, and then the sons die. Naomi is left husbandless, and maleless with only two foreign daughters-in-law to show for her years in Moab. It's not a good position.

She hears the famine is over and decides to return to Bethlehem. But I would guess the decision is not an easy one. She has pretty much nothing to show for the Moabite years.  She is returning "empty" - Ruth 1:21.

The family may have been prominent in Bethlehem for when Naomi returns, not completely empty but with one daughter-in-law, "all the city is excited because of them; and the women said, 'Is this Naomi?'"- Ruth 1:19.

Can't you just hear the subtext? "Have you noticed Naomi's wrinkled face, her grey hair? She looked so good when they left. What happened?"

I can imagine Naomi dreading exactly such a thing. But I believe God is in this. Before He can move her on she has to come full-circle, back to the place where it all started (even though it means temporary humiliation).

I am reminded of at least two other instances where Bible characters are brought full circle.

Moses' return to Mount Horeb  (or Mt. Sinai) proves God's presence is/was with him (Exodus 3:12; 19;  the names Horeb and Sinai are used interchangeably for the same mountain).

Peter's full-circle trip to the Sea of Galilee is a confirmation of his call to leave fishing and follow Jesus (Mark 1:17; John 21:19).

What is God saying to Naomi when He brings her back to Bethlehem? Perhaps that her real provision ("Bethlehem" means "house of bread") and protection (Boaz speaks to Ruth of God bringing her to Israel to live under His wings - Ruth 2:12) are in God's land with His people?


Have you noticed God taking you full-circle? He's done that with me. Whenever He does, let's pay attention. There may just be something we need to hear.



PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You that no journey with You is wasted—when even I'm brought back to old starting points. Help me to learn from Your full-circle leading. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Attitude turnaround

Desert in the Middle East (Image: ejaugsburg/Pixabay.com)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 63:1-11

TO CHEW ON: "My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water…
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips." Psalm 63:1,5


Do you notice how David goes from being spiritually hungry and thirsty to satisfied and full in the space of four verses? Let's delve into this psalm for a bit to see how he does it.

At first:
Notice the occasion and setting of the writing: "A psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah." No wonder he's thinking "dry," "thirst," "no water"! He is on the run from King Saul and hiding out in an arid place of caves and only parched vegetation. The opening of this psalm reflects his nasty circumstances.

How does he turn himself around? These are some things he does:

1. "So I have looked for You in the sanctuary…"  - Psalm 63:2:
I see the word "sanctuary and I think "church" or other sacred building. But David is far from the Tabernacle. What "sanctuary" could he be referring to?

[The Hebrew word translated "sanctuary" is qodesh . It means apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness of God, of places and of things.]

Since David couldn't make the trek to the actual sanctuary I would imagine he entered the God's sacred presence much like we do when we meet with God in our daily devotions at home—using his imagination, directing his thoughts to God's "power and glory" and all His attributes, getting distracted from his worries and complaints by soaking in God's presence.

2. "My lips shall praise You…" - Psalm 63:3
David speaks praise out loud, with his mouth.

3. "I will lift up my hands in Your name…" - Psalm 63:4:
David continues praising with even more expressiveness. Lifting hands can mean many things—surrender, trust, pleading, adoration, or loyalty (as in a type of salute).

4. "I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches" - Psalm 63:6:
David's attitude turnaround affects even how he spends the hours he can't sleep or the time he's trying to stay awake through the night watch of guard duty. Instead of worrying, he meditates on God, recalls God's help and presence, and rejoices in God's protection ("Your wings") instead of worrying.

Next time circumstances overwhelm us with how poor and needy we are, let's try out some of David's techniques to return ourselves to the place of plenty:
- Enter the sanctuary of God's presence.
- Praise with our lips and bodies.
- Rein in our thoughts and focus on Him instead of worrying, especially during the trying times of night.


PRAYER: Dear Father, please help me to make a habit of turning my thoughts to You in difficult circumstances and, like David did, to praise You, worship You and trust in Your ability to see me through. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God's protection

Image: waldomiguez / pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Zechariah 1:18-2:13

TO CHEW ON: "'For I,' says the LORD, 'will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.'" Zechariah 2:5


Accompanying Zechariah's encouragement to the people to rebuild the temple, indeed all of Jerusalem, is his prophetic promise to the people of God's protection. The picture here (Zechariah 2:4,5) is of a town so bulging with people they spill out the city walls. But they don't need to worry about safety. God says: "'I will be a wall of fire around her and I will be the glory in her midst.'"

This scene takes us back to the exodus when the Egyptians pursued the Israelites to take them back into slavery. God used a cloud or wall (of light, darkness, fire) to protect the people from their enemies then, and here is His promise to do it again (Exodus 14:8,9, 19, 20, 24-28).

This situation reminds us as well of the heavenly army God sent to protect Elisha and his servant at Dothan when the King of Syria set out to capture him - 2 Kings 6:17.

There are many many verses in the Bible that promise God's protection to those who put their trust in Him. Some of my favorites:

 "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" - 2 Chronicles 16:9.

"The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them" - Psalm 34:7

"He shall cover you with His feathers
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shilled and buckler.

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
And then thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you." Psalm 91:4-7

Let's claim God's protection today!

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that "Your hand is not shortened that it cannot save, Your ear not heavy that it cannot hear" the cries of those who are Yours. Amen (quoting Isaiah 59:1).

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Safe!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 91:1-16

TO CHEW ON: “Because you have made the Lord who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.” Psalm 91:9-10

This is one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible. I don’t know how often I have sought it out when I have felt fearful, anxious about safety, or concerned about my health or the health of my family.

I love the images of God as protector and safe place.

• We can live under His wings as baby birds find warmth, comfort, and safety from the elements under the wings of mother bird.
• He is a fortress. Picture one of those castles in Europe, built on inaccessible mountainsides.
• He is a refuge. In Israel, there were designated cities of refuge where a person could run to when accused of killing someone. Inside a city of refuge, the accused was guaranteed safety from revenge killing.
• He is a deliverer. The picture is of someone springing the trap to loose a bird.
• His truth is protection – both as a shield and a small shield (buckler).
• His presence defends from personal attack, sickness and war.
• He assigns our care to angels.
• He transcends the natural order of nature to keep us safe.
• He gives us a place of honor.
• He answers our prayers.
• He rewards us with long life.

Why all this special attention? “Because you have made the Lord who is my refuge, even the most High, your dwelling place.” (91:9)

A sidebar article in my Bible sheds light on "refuge" and "dwelling place":

[“The word makhseh translated “refuge” means “a shelter,” “a place of trust,” and derives from the root khawsaw meaning “to flee for protection,” “to confide in.”

Maween translated “dwelling place” indicates “a retreat.” It derives from the root 'onah which describes the security of “intimately dwelling together in marriage.”]

When we make the Lord our refuge and habitation by trusting Him – taking our cares, fears and needs to Him; by seeking His counsel, spending times of refreshing with Him, and by loving Him and walking closely with him through every day, we enter into a sheltered place of promise….” New Spirit Filled Life Bible p. 758 – Nathaniel M. Van Cleave.)

Do we dwell in God like that? Do any of the images of God as savior and protector resonate with us? Let's take those pictures with us today. Let's revel and relax in His care today.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your intimate knowledge of and care for me. Help me to confide in You and make You my retreat. I make You my safe place today. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What God values

"He will rejoice over you with singing" (pixabay.com)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Zephaniah 3:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "I will leave in your midst
a meek and humble people,
And they shall trust in the name of the Lord." Zephaniah 1:12

After all the dire predictions, the "woe"s and scoldings and lectures, Zephaniah ends his prophecy on a positive note. Zephaniah 3:8-20 expresses God's love and fierce loyalty to those who are faithful and return to Him.

Though this passage is addressed primarily to Israel it does also have an international component: "… the peoples…That they all may call on the name of the Lord…From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, the daughters of My dispersed ones, shall bring My offering" - Zephaniah 3:9,10. And so we take the liberty of applying its truths to ourselves.

These verses show us some of the things God values. They also show us how He will intervene on behalf of those who adopt His values.

God values:

• Truth:

"For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language…" Zephaniah 3:9.
"The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies" - Zephaniah 3:13.

• Humility:

"For then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall no longer be haughty… I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people" - Zephaniah 3:11,12.

• Meekness:

"I will leave in your midst a meek ... people" - Zephaniah 3:12.

For those who adopt His values, God will:

• Restore:

"For then I will restore to the people a pure language…" Zephaniah 3:9.
"At that time I will bring you back… I will gather you… I return your captives before your eyes" - Zephaniah 3:20.

• Remove shame:

"In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds" - Zephaniah 3:11.

• Protect:

"They shall trust in the name of the Lord" - Zephaniah 3:12
"For they shall feed their flock and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid" - Zephaniah 3:13.
"He has cast out your enemy… You shall see disaster no more - Zephaniah 3:15.

• Cancel judgment:

"The Lord has taken away your judgments" - Zephaniah 3:15.
"The Lord your God is in your midst, the Mighty One will save" - Zephaniah 3:17.

• Comfort:

"He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing" - Zephaniah 3:17.

• Show favor:

To those who were lame and driven out:  "… I will appoint them for praise and fame … I gather you; for I will give you fame and praise" - Zephaniah 3:19,20.


In our time when responding to enemies—personally to internationally—with truth, humility and meekness feels all wrong, let's remember God's promises to His people through Zephaniah. He is the Mighty One who gives ultimate protection and safety. By living in His ways of truth, humility, and meekness, we position ourselves for the spiritual freedom, protection, comfort and favor that only His intervention can bring about.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for these beautiful promises of restoration, protection, safety, comfort and favor. In these times of uncertainty, help me to live in truth, humility and meekness. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Welcoming wings

"Having checked all were present and correct,

 the mother swan gently tucked back her wings 

to stop them falling off before gliding back to her nest" 

From "All Aboard"

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ruth 2:1-23

TO CHEW ON: "'The Lord repay your work and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel under whose wings you have come for refuge.'" Ruth 2:12

Ruth was in Bethlehem, the home of her mother-in-law, where she was an outsider. However, that didn't stop her from taking the initiative in getting food on their table. Perhaps Naomi told her about the Israeli custom of gleaning, where the farmer purposely left some of his crop for the poor to pick up after his harvesters were done. For she seemed to know about it and offered to glean food for them.

Her first morning out she 'happened' to choose the field of Boaz to glean in. He noticed her, perhaps not surprisingly, for it seems her arrival with Naomi had been all the buzz around town.

 If Ruth had any fears about the reaction of this wealthy farmer, she needn't have. For his attentions were all good. How comforting his words must have sounded: "The Lord repay your work and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."

In many places God expresses His tender-heartedness for the alien, foreigner, orphan and widow. Do we have a similarly welcoming attitude toward immigrants, outsiders, newcomers with strange customs, language, clothes, and food? The recent debate in Canada over whether Muslim women immigrants to Canada should be allowed to wear the face-covering niqab during citizenship swearing in has brought feelings and discussion about foreigners into the open. I know I need to constantly check my own heart on this, asking, am I as welcoming as Boaz was?

God's wings are big enough for us all. He invites us all to come to Him for comfort, rest, protection, safety, healing and renewal:

"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings" - Psalm 36:7

(See also Psalm 91:1-6 and Malachi 4:2)


PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your welcome to all people. Help me to reflect Your welcoming attitude toward others, especially newcomers, immigrants and foreigners. Amen.

MORE: We are all aliens

"The divide could not have been larger between sinful human beings and the infinitely holy Son of God. But Christ did not despise us. He came to us. He loved us. He died in our place to give us life. And he did all this when we were more alien to him than anyone has ever been alien to us. When we feel or think or act with disdain or disrespect or avoidance or exclusion or malice toward a person simply because he or she is of another race or another ethnic group, we are, in effect, saying that Jesus acted in a foolish way toward us. You don’t want to say that."   By John Piper- read all of "Probability, Prejudice and Christ"   ©2012 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org.  

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God's Shield-care

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 47:1-9

TO CHEW ON: "For the shields of the earth belong to God" - Psalm 47:9


It's easy to become fearful and overwhelmed as we watch world events unfold. In these times, heavy responsibility falls on our leaders as they seek to protect us from terrorism,  man-made disasters, internet fraud,  virulent diseases etc.

As our leaders seek to carry out their responsibilities, their critics plant suspicions in our minds about them: They're doing too much in some areas, not enough in others. The laws they're passing will step on the toes of our rights. Everything they do is done with ulterior, self-serving motives…

In such a setting, the verse fragment I've chosen to focus on today is a great comfort: "For the shields of the earth belong to God." That's now the NKJV translates it. Other translations translate "shields" as "kings": "For the kings of the earth belong to God" - Psalm 47:9 NIV and "For the leaders of the earth belong to God" - Psalm 47:9 HCSB.

[The word used for "shields" or "kings" here is magen. It refers to a small golden shield "… the magen was a shield which only protected a part of the person, could be carried on the arm, and was used by light troops" - James M. Freeman, Manners and Customs of the Bible, pp. 157,8.]

What I'm hearing the psalmist say is that our leaders are shields—a means of our protection. They are God's possession, there by His permission and oversight (see Ephesians 1:19-22). As such we can trust God's wisdom in placing them over us and relax in His shield-care through them.

God's care as shield (magen) doesn't come to us only through our leaders. Some other ways God is our shield:
- Through His help - Deuteronomy 33:29.
- Through salvation - 2 Samuel 22:36.
- Around us - Psalm 3:3.
- As a refuge - Psalm 18:30; 144:2.
- As our victory - Psalm 18:35.
- Through His word - Psalm 119:14.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to trust Your shield-care for me in all the ways You give it. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Kept through trouble

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 121:1-8

TO CHEW ON: "The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore." Psalm 121:8

Though a quick read-through of this Psalm may give us the impression that life with God is insulated and lived "on flowery beds of ease," it doesn't really say that at all. Because every positive statement the psalmist makes argues back to an implied niggling worry that is altogether familiar:

We fear that help won't come; we will slip; God will miss something; He won't keep us; we'll faint in the heat or lose heart in the night; we'll succumb to evil; our life will end badly after all.

Eugene Peterson says in his commentary on this psalm:

"No literature is more realistic and honest in facing the harsh facts of life than the Bible. At no time is there the faintest suggestion that the life of faith exempts us from difficulties....On every page of the Bible there is recognition that faith encounters troubles" A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, p. 42.

Though this psalm does't promise a problem-free life, it does promise:
- God will be right there with us in our problems (Psalm 121:2,4).
- He controls their extent; their limits are in His hands (Psalm 121:3).
- He will send us protection and relief in them (Psalm 121:5,6).
- He preserves us through them (Psalm 121:7,8).

Peterson again:

"The Christian life is going to God. In every going to God Christians travel the same ground that everyone else walks on, breathe the same air, drink the same water, shop in the same stores, read the same newspapers...

The difference is that each step we walk, each breath we breathe we know we are preserved by God, we know we are accompanied by God, we know we are led by God; and therefore no matter what doubts we endure or what accidents we experience, the Lord will guard us from every evil, He guards our very life" - A Long Obedience p. 45 (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear God, I lay out before You the problems of my day. Help me not to be transfixed by their bigness but to focus on how secure I am (even as I ride them out) with You beside me, behind me, in front of me, over me, under me, in me. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Vindicated by God's presence

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 17:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "Let my vindication come from Your presence." Psalm 17:2a

Here David prays from a place of total transparency before God. He invites God's very presence to be his vindication.

[Vindicate: 1] To clear of accusation, censure, suspicion etc.; 2] To support or maintain as a right or claim; 3] To serve to justify. Synonym: absolve.]

The Message Bible phrases Psalm 17:2 in a way that makes the vindication meaning clear: "Show the world I'm innocent—in your heart you know I am."

In verses 3-9 David goes into detail about some of the ways and places he has allowed God's all-seeing presence to probe him.

• God has visited him in the night and those encounters have yielded no conviction of sin (Psalm 17:3). Who of us hasn't experienced the sense that in the dark of our room, when we'd like to be sleeping but sleep won't come, God is there, sees, all, and we can't hide anything from Him?

• God has convicted him over his speech so that now he can say, "I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress" - Psalm 17:3.

• He has been careful not to go to the wrong places: "I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer…" - Psalm 17:4,5.

• He has called on God to save him (implied is that he hasn't looked for salvation in other places) - Psalm 17:7.

• Out of all this comes his confidence to ask for God's protective hiding and covering now "when the wicked oppress and deadly enemies surround" - Psalm 17:8,9.

• And he can look forward to that final day when he and God will actually meet face to face - Psalm 17:15.

Have we ever invited God to examine us to the depths that David did here? Do we share openly with Him in our most private moments, submit our tongues and feet to Him, trust Him (above everything else) for what we need of protection and help? Let's be challenged by David's example so we can echo his confident conclusion: "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake with Your likeness" - Psalm 17:15.


PRAYER: Dear God, help me to be transparent with You so I have the confidence, in the ups and downs of daily life,  to pray along with David: "Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings." Amen. 

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New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Come out singing

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 32:1-11

TO CHEW ON: “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.” Psalm 32:7

When I hear ‘hiding place’ I think of Corrie Ten Boom’s book by that name. It was well-titled, for Corrie’s family was arrested for giving Jews a hiding place in their home when Holland was under the Nazis. Later she relates several instances of God performing feats of hiding for her and her sister. In one, they managed to smuggle a Bible into prison right under the nose of their captors.

That God’s followers would need hiding or preservation or deliverance points to a sobering truth about the Christian life: just because God is in our lives doesn’t mean we are immune from trouble. We are just as vulnerable to calamity, sickness, accidents and natural disasters as the next person. However, in those times we have these promises: God will hide us; God will preserve us; He will surround us with songs of deliverance.

The need for “songs of deliverance” implies that we’ve been caught, or very close to it. My Bible has cross references from this phrase to Exodus 15:1 and Judges 5:1. The Exodus reference is to the song that Moses sang after Pharaoh’s army drowned in the Red Sea after pursuing the Israelites in an attempt to bring them back to slavery. The Judges song is one Deborah and Barak sang after Jael, a feisty desert woman, killed Sisera, the army commander of their enemy King Jabin (Judges 4).

Next time you’re in the thick of trouble, don’t take it as a sign of God’s displeasure or punishment. Rather, welcome it as another opportunity to strengthen your faith as you experience God’s care for you in the midst of it. He will bring you through, singing your own song of deliverance.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for being with me in times of testing, threat, and sickness. Please hide me, preserve me and help me to come out the other side singing. Amen.


MORE: A quote from O.C.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Romans 8:35


“God does not keep a man immune from trouble; He says – “I will be with him in trouble.” It does not matter what actual troubles in the most extreme form get hold of a man’s life, not one of them can separate him from his relationship to God. We are “more than conquerors in all these things.” Paul is not talking of imaginary things, but of things that are desperately actual; and he says we are super-victors in the midst of them, not by our ingenuity, or by our courage, or by anything other than the fact that not one of them affects our relationship to God in Jesus Christ. Rightly or wrongly, we are where we are exactly in the condition we are in. I am sorry for the Christian who has not something in his circumstances he wishes was not there.”

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, May 19th reading

Safe!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 91:1-16

TO CHEW ON: “Because you have made the Lord who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.” Psalm 91:9-10

This is one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible. I don’t know how often I have sought it out when I have felt fearful, anxious about safety, or concerned about my health or the health of my family.

I love the images of God as protector and safe place.

• We can live under His wings as baby birds find warmth, comfort, and safety from the elements under the wings of mother bird.
• He is a fortress. Picture one of those castles in Europe, built on inaccessible mountainsides.
• He is a refuge. In Israel, there were designated cities of refuge where a person could run to when accused of killing someone. Inside a city of refuge, the accused was guaranteed safety from revenge killing.
• He is a deliverer. The picture is of someone springing the trap to loose a bird.
• His truth is protection – both as a shield and a small shield (buckler).
• His presence defends from personal attack, sickness and war.
• He assigns our care to angels.
• He transcends the natural order of nature to keep us safe.
• He gives us a place of honor.
• He answers our prayers.
• He rewards us with long life.

Why all this special attention? “Because you have made the Lord who is my refuge, even the most High, your dwelling place.” (91:9)

A sidebar article in my Bible sheds light on "refuge" and "dwelling place":

“The word makhseh translated “refuge” means “a shelter,” “a place of trust,” and derives from the root khawsaw meaning “to flee for protection,” “to confide in.”

Maween translated “dwelling place” indicates “a retreat.” It derives from the root 'onah which describes the security of “intimately dwelling together in marriage.”

When we make the Lord our refuge and habitation by trusting Him – taking our cares, fears and needs to Him; by seeking His counsel, spending times of refreshing with Him, and by loving Him and walking closely with him through every day, we enter into a sheltered place of promise….” New Spirit Filled Life Bible p. 758 – Nathaniel M. Van Cleave.)

Do any of the images God as protector resonate with you? Take the picture of that with you today. Revel in His care today.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your intimate knowledge of and care for me. Help me to confide in You and make You my retreat. I make You my safe place today. Amen.

MORE:

Psalm 91 by Lincoln Brewster