Tag Archives: shield

Are You Trusting in the LORD?

01 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 115, Psalms

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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 in 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.

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Early evening glow on the Ottawa River — 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 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 been my constant guide. When needed most, He has opened the windows of heaven and poured out blessings. He has sent help in various forms in, 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?

He Will Save You

27 Thursday Jul 2017

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 91, Psalms

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I will praise Him!

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You will find refuge — photo by David Kitz

Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

(Psalm 91:3-4, NIV)

The Warrior’s Armor and the Warrior’s Strength

26 Monday Jun 2017

Posted by in Psalm 18, Psalms

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Reading:                                          Psalm 18

Verses 30-36

As for God, his way is perfect:
The LORD’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?
 It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way (NIV).

Reflection
There’s a principle of biblical interpretation that goes something like this: The natural comes first, and then comes the spiritual. We can see this illustrated in Paul’s comparison of the first man, Adam, with the new man, Christ in 1 Corinthians 15. Similarly, the natural Kingdom of Israel is replaced in the New Testament by the spiritual Kingdom of God, which has no physical or geographic boundaries.

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Ottawa River — photo by David Kitz

In David’s time natural Israel had borders, which needed to be defended from attack by flesh and blood enemies that were only too eager take advantage of any perceived weakness. In the same way today, the church and every born-again believer must be on guard, because Satan and his demons are lying in wait, ready to attack.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Devil. And he has marked you as his target. He has spiritual murder as his top priority—your murder. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

But God did not leave David or natural Israel defenceless. The LORD provided His matchless word and His impenetrable shield of faith against the foes attack. Furthermore, there was strength for the battle. David declares, “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure… He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”

This portion of Psalm 18 has its New Testament spiritual counterpart in Ephesians 6:10-17, where Paul the apostle, calls us as spiritual warriors to put on the armor of God. Like David, we are in a battle.

Response: Heavenly Father, help me to fight the good fight. Today, I put on the armor of God to fight the attacks of the enemy. Give me your strength in Jesus name. Amen.

Your Turn: How does Satan try to bring you down? What weapons are you using?

Our Rock

20 Tuesday Jun 2017

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalm 18, Psalms

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Reading:                                            Psalm 18

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD.
He sang to the LORD the words of this song
when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies
and from the hand of Saul. He said:
Verses 1-5

I love you, LORD, my strength.
 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me (NIV).

Reflection

Psalm 18 is one of the longer psalms in the Book of Psalms. Step by step, day by day we will glean wisdom from the psalmist, David, as we make our way through this psalm.

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Early morning Petrie Island reflections — photo by David Kitz

In many respects Psalm 18 is a psalm of culmination. The introductory note tells us that David composed and sang this psalm when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. For many long years David had been fleeing for his life from his master King Saul. At long last, after repeatedly calling on God in great distress, David has triumphed. And now through the words of this psalm, he gives all the credit and all the glory to God.

Notice the list of attributes that David ascribes to the LORD: my strength, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my rock, my shield, my salvation and my stronghold. To David the LORD had proven Himself repeatedly during years of hard times to be the embodiment of each of those attributes. If you call on Him, the LORD can be all of those things for you as well.

Did you notice that my rock is the only attribute that is repeated in this list? Why repeat the phrase my rock? In the prophetic realm, during all those years of severe testing, Christ was the rock on which David took his stand. David did not build his life on the shifting sands of public opinion or popularity. He built his life on Christ. A thousand years in advance, David was putting into practice the words of Jesus, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25).

Now that’s wisdom—applied wisdom for the ages!

Response: Heavenly Father, help me daily to build my life on the rock, Christ Jesus. Lord Jesus, you are my fortress, my salvation and my stronghold. I put my full trust in you. Amen.

Your Turn: How is God like a rock in your life? Has He sustained you during difficult times? Is He helping you through tough times right now, or has He already turned the tide in your favor?

Shield my Head

07 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by in Psalm 140, Psalms

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Reading:                                          Psalm 140

(Verses 6-8)

I say to the LORD, “You are my God.”

Hear, LORD, my cry for mercy.

Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer,

you shield my head in the day of battle.

Do not grant the wicked their desires, LORD;

do not let their plans succeed (NIV).

Reflection

On a beautiful spring evening almost twenty years ago, I went for a bicycle ride with my fourteen-year-old son, Josh. At that time, there were some beautiful mountain bike trails on a forest-covered escarpment above our home. After exploring these trails for a while the time came for us to return home.

Ice bike trail

Early spring cycling in Ottawa, Canada — photo by David Kitz

We crossed to the opposite side of the paved road and began our descent down the hill. Of course our bikes began to pick up speed—no pedaling needed. There was a traffic light at the bottom of the hill where we needed to make a right turn down our street. Soon Josh was well ahead of me. He went sailing around that corner at top speed and launched himself and his bike onto the sidewalk. What Josh could not see due to a tall hedge was the minivan pulling into the intersection directly ahead.

Boom! His bike collided with the back wheel and side of the minivan. Next, I see Josh’s body flying over the roof of the van. I expect to find him dead or disabled on the other side of the vehicle. Not so. Miraculously, not so! He was shaken but conscious. We rushed him to a hospital to have him checked. No signs of concussion were detected. Answered prayer and his bicycle helmet saved him. The minivan owner was not so fortunate. Josh’s head dented the rear roof column. Body shop repairs cost $1,600.

David voices this prayer in today’s reading from Psalm 140: Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle.

Is your head shielded? It’s your body’s most crucial asset. You can lose a limb—several limbs—and survive. But your head is essential. A lot of Christians are losing the battle for their heads these days. By that I mean we are filling our minds with the philosophical garbage and filth of this world. Many of the most active sites on the World Wide Web are porn sites. Christian men are particularly vulnerable.

Paul, the apostle, admonishes us: Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11). One of the most important elements of that armor is the helmet of salvation. Are you certain of your salvation? Our salvation is as certain as the blood of Christ. It’s as certain as the empty tomb. But if we do not guard our minds and our eyes, which are the gateway to the mind, we can quickly find ourselves vulnerable. We need self-control and God’s help—His shielding. It doesn’t take long to pick up speed when your mind starts rolling downhill. Is your helmet on?

Response: Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle. Do not grant the wicked their desires, LORD; do not let their plans succeed. I commit my thoughts and ways to you. Amen.

Your Turn: How vulnerable are you to attacks from the enemy? Are you holding your ground?

My Fortress

16 Monday May 2016

Posted by in Monday Meditation, Psalms

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You are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector, the rock where I am safe, my shield, my powerful weapon, and my place of shelter (Psalm 18:2, CEV).

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Mount Fuji — The LORD is our Fortress — photo by David Kitz

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is the word fortress.

There are two kinds of strength, passive strength and aggressive strength. A fortress represents a form of passive strength. A fortress is defensive in nature. Its purpose is to project strength by deterring and if necessary repelling attacks from an external enemy.

Today’s verse from the Psalms is all about how the LORD acts as our strong fortress.

You are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector, the rock where I am safe, my shield, my powerful weapon, and my place of shelter (Psalm 18:2, CEV).

But why do we need a fortress? The answer is obvious. We have an active enemy who is determined to destroy us. Jesus said, “A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.  I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep” (John 10:10-11).

The Lord Jesus is our fortress and protector against the enemy of our souls. I am safe when I am found in Him.

Response: LORD God, I thank you for Jesus, my shepherd and protector. I am safe when I find shelter within the walls of your fortress. You gave up your life to keep me safe. Praise be to your name. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you active or passive when you take shelter in the Lord?