Power and Protection
What does God do for you?
Verse of the Day
‘The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.’
Today’s Devotional
There is a lot going on in this one verse. So let’s take it phrase by phrase…
The Lord is my strength: The author of this psalm is aware and willing to admit where his power comes from.
The Lord is my shield: God serves as our protection. He stands between us and the spiritual forces who are trying to harm us. It is my belief that we could not fathom how often God protects us from dangers that we cannot see.
I will trust him with all of my heart: This one sentence captures a longing of my heart. I want to trust God completely. I want to be incapable of worry because I trust Him that much. I know that I can build my trust muscles by behaving in a way that shows my trust in God, and by declaring my trust in God TO God, just like this psalmist does.
He helps me: The more I am becoming aware of how powerless I am in this life, the more I am asking God for His help. I believe He helps me more than I know. Acknowledging the help that I can see Him giving me is a path to a more fulfilled life.
My heart is filled with joy: When we see that God is helping us, and we acknowledge that help, there is joy and peace. The God of the universe loves you enough to help you with your life and the things that matter to you. That is a joyful experience. We need to be looking for His help if we long to be more joyful.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving: The goodness of God is so overwhelming that we “burst”. If we don’t speak and sing our praise and gratitude, we might explode.
It seems to me that there is a progression to this verse that comes from an awareness of God’s actions on our behalf. When we are aware of His strength, protection, and help, it breeds a heart of trust and joy. Today, may we be aware of God’s movement in our lives. And may it spark trust, joy, and gratitude.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How aware are you of God’s strength in your life? What is one example?
How has the Lord protected you?
How would you rate your level of trust in God?
How do you need God’s help today?
How did He help you yesterday?
Looking at your answers above, how much joy and gratitude do you have?
How can you be more aware of God today? Ask Him.