Tags
blessings, faith, God's blessing, help, help from God, sheild, the LORD, trust, trusting God
Reading: Psalm 115
(Verses 9-18)
All you Israelites, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
House of Aaron, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
You who fear him, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
The LORD remembers us and will bless us:
He will bless his people Israel,
he will bless the house of Aaron,
he will bless those who fear the LORD—
small and great alike.
May the LORD cause you to flourish,
both you and your children.
May you be blessed by the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
The highest heavens belong to the LORD,
but the earth he has given to mankind.
It is not the dead who praise the LORD,
those who go down to the place of silence;
it is we who extol the LORD, both now and forevermore.
Praise the LORD (NIV).
Reflection
As a sharp contrast to placing our trust in the lifeless idols of this world, Psalm 115 calls us to place our trust God. Today’s reading begins with a threefold call to trust the LORD. All you Israelites, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield. House of Aaron, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield. You who fear him, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield.
The path of the blessed — photo by David Kitz
For those who are logically minded, there is a simple equation or formula at work here. Trust in the LORD results in help and protection—he [the LORD] is their help and shield. Our trust or faith in God brings a response from Him. The LORD’s response is both active and passive. He provides help; He intervenes by actively assisting us. From personal experience I know the LORD has been my help. In the nick of time He has provided words of knowledge and wisdom. He has opened the windows of heaven and poured out blessings when needed most. He has sent help in various forms and in ways too numerous to mention.
But the LORD is also our shield. He protects us from the slings and arrows of the evil one. He shields us from the enemy’s attacks, whether it is from physical harm, or spiritual attacks that undermine our faith through faulty reasoning or deceptive philosophies. The LORD is our sure defense. We can draw strength from this promise: He will bless those who fear the LORD—small and great alike.
Response: Father God, I trust you to be my help and my shield. Keep me safe from the evil one. Thank you for all your help through the years. You have been faithful to keep your word. Amen.
Your Turn: Can you think of instances when God has helped you?
I love the Psalms 
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Like you said in your post – God has helped me too many times to mention. Most of the time, though, I don’t recognize that help until much later. Often wondering why he hasn’t helped, only to see down the road that his hand was clearly there all the time.
So true, Russell. We need our eyes wide open to see God at work in our lives. Sometimes He allows us to see beautiful glimpses of Him at work in us and through us.
I shared on FB: https://www.facebook.com/shatteredinhim/
Thank you for the inspiration!
Thanks for sharing this post.