ODJ: safe

July 17, 2014 

READ: Psalm 33:1-22 

We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield (v.20).

Overwhelmed with work and tired from a busy weekend of ministry, I couldn’t stop the tears when I came home to a leak in the kitchen ceiling of our new house. Hardly an insurmountable problem, especially since our house is under warranty, I still felt my vulnerability anew. Not only had we recently encountered the challenges of moving to a new town, we had also faced considerable agitation from our neighbours for having a Bible study in our home. So as I watched each drip fall from the bulging plasterboard onto the tile floor, I longed for something to be easy.
Sometimes we simply need to be reminded: God has us covered. Psalm 33:20 says, “We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield.” And verse 18 declares that He “watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.”

The psalmist used the powerful description of God being our shield to describe the fullness of His protection. Moved by love, He faithfully watches over us (v.18). We can go face to face with the enemy in the confidence that God is with us and that He alone can provide our rescue (v.19).

We might reason that the right circumstances, others’ choices or the appropriate resources would keep us from hardship. But to make our victory dependent on these things is to place our hope in the warhorse and the armour (vv.16-17)—empty provisions at best. Instead, we trust in Him: “In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD” (vv.21-22). Our Deliverer doesn’t just fight on our behalf; He holds us close, and we’re safe in His arms (Deuteronomy 33:12). —Regina Franklin

365-day plan› Matthew 14:13-36