Good evening, everyone!
Wow. It's late! I can't believe it took me so long to get to my post today. So, without further ado, here we go.
Today I read Psalms 133-139, and I'll be focusing on Psalm 139, specifically verses 1-7.
O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my though from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
How wonderful to know that there is nowhere we can go that is beyond God's reach, and nowhere to be separated from His presence.
Even before we speak, He knows what we will say. Before we form a thought, He knows it.
He has searched us thoroughly, and knows us more intimately than anyone ever can or will. He literally knows everything. And He still loves us.
He knows when we will have bad days, and when our days will be good. He knows our thoughts, words, actions, and plans before we ever form them.
I'm so glad that He knows us so well, and that His grace is sufficient for all our human slip-ups.
Because He knows us so well, we can always trust in Him.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalms 140-145.
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Monday, July 9, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 189: The Lord is Our Keeper
Good morning, everyone!
Today I read Psalms 120-132, but I'll focus on Psalm 121.
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.
The Lord is our keeper. Our help comes from Him. He will protect us, and guard us. He will guide us. He never sleeps, gets sick, or needs rest. He is always with us, always nearby in times of trouble. He holds our lives and our souls. He guards us forevermore.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalms 133-139.
Today I read Psalms 120-132, but I'll focus on Psalm 121.
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.
The Lord is our keeper. Our help comes from Him. He will protect us, and guard us. He will guide us. He never sleeps, gets sick, or needs rest. He is always with us, always nearby in times of trouble. He holds our lives and our souls. He guards us forevermore.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalms 133-139.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 188: Wisdom
Good morning, everyone!
Today I read Psalm 119:89-176.
And I want to focus on just a couple verses today.
Psalm 119:89-91 - Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Your ordinances, for all things are Your servants.
God is eternal. His Word is established. His faithfulness is forever.
Psalm 119:99-100 - I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts.
From God's word, we gain wisdom. When we study His laws and keep them in our hearts, we have more wisdom than even our teachers.
And age is no indicator of wisdom. A young person who knows God's word has more wisdom than an older person who does not.
I find this to be very interesting.
There's a saying that's been going on for a while. "Common sense isn't very common anymore."
But what is common sense but wisdom?
True wisdom comes from God. And if you want to be truly wise, study His word and His laws, learn them, and remember them.
The world may not consider knowledge of God's Word to be "intelligence," but that's not what we're going for. We want God's wisdom, which is priceless.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalms 120-132.
Today I read Psalm 119:89-176.
And I want to focus on just a couple verses today.
Psalm 119:89-91 - Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Your ordinances, for all things are Your servants.
God is eternal. His Word is established. His faithfulness is forever.
Psalm 119:99-100 - I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts.
From God's word, we gain wisdom. When we study His laws and keep them in our hearts, we have more wisdom than even our teachers.
And age is no indicator of wisdom. A young person who knows God's word has more wisdom than an older person who does not.
I find this to be very interesting.
There's a saying that's been going on for a while. "Common sense isn't very common anymore."
But what is common sense but wisdom?
True wisdom comes from God. And if you want to be truly wise, study His word and His laws, learn them, and remember them.
The world may not consider knowledge of God's Word to be "intelligence," but that's not what we're going for. We want God's wisdom, which is priceless.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalms 120-132.
Saturday, July 7, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 187: God's Commandments
Hello everyone!
Today I read Psalm 119:1-88. The topic of this psalm is "meditations and prayers relating to the law of the Lord." The author of this psalm is unknown, but it appears to be sung by different people. Remember the psalms are songs, and I'm sure that sung in the original Hebrew, they are absolutely beautiful.
According to some research that I did, King David used this psalm to teach Solomon about God's laws. I don't know if this suggests that the psalm existed before David, or if he wrote it.
There is a lot to this psalm, and I don't know if I can choose just one part, but I want to mention a common theme throughout the psalm, that is repeated for each of the singers: keeping God's commandments.
V.1-2 - How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart.
V.9 - How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.
V.11 - Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.
V.17-18 - Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.
V.27 - Make me understand the way of Your precepts, so I will meditate on Your wonders.
V.33-34 - Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I shall observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law and keep it with all my heart.
V.47 - I shall delight in Your commandments, which I love.
V.59-60 - I considered my ways and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I hastened and did not delay to keep Your commandments.
V.65-66 - You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your word. Teach me good discernment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments.
I know it's a long psalm, but I encourage you to read all of it for yourself.
The whole theme is a prayer to God that He teach us His commandments so that we may walk in His ways, something which delights us (or should).
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalm 119:89-176.
Today I read Psalm 119:1-88. The topic of this psalm is "meditations and prayers relating to the law of the Lord." The author of this psalm is unknown, but it appears to be sung by different people. Remember the psalms are songs, and I'm sure that sung in the original Hebrew, they are absolutely beautiful.
According to some research that I did, King David used this psalm to teach Solomon about God's laws. I don't know if this suggests that the psalm existed before David, or if he wrote it.
There is a lot to this psalm, and I don't know if I can choose just one part, but I want to mention a common theme throughout the psalm, that is repeated for each of the singers: keeping God's commandments.
V.1-2 - How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart.
V.9 - How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.
V.11 - Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.
V.17-18 - Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.
V.27 - Make me understand the way of Your precepts, so I will meditate on Your wonders.
V.33-34 - Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I shall observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law and keep it with all my heart.
V.47 - I shall delight in Your commandments, which I love.
V.59-60 - I considered my ways and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I hastened and did not delay to keep Your commandments.
V.65-66 - You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your word. Teach me good discernment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments.
I know it's a long psalm, but I encourage you to read all of it for yourself.
The whole theme is a prayer to God that He teach us His commandments so that we may walk in His ways, something which delights us (or should).
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalm 119:89-176.
Friday, July 6, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 186: A Psalm of Praise
Good morning, everyone!
Today I read Psalms 115-118, and I'll be focusing on Psalm 117, which, as I mentioned yesterday, is my favorite psalm! Ever.
Not only because it's short, okay.
Praise the LORD, all nations; laud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great toward us, and the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!
That's it. That's the whole psalm. Short, sweet, and right to the point.
Praise and laud the Lord, all nations and peoples.
I'll save you having to look up laud like I did. It means to praise or to extol. Now, I really like the word extol (yes, I'm a word nerd). The word extol, and thus the word laud, if we go a bit deeper into the meaning, means to "praise highly" or "glorify." One definition even says to "praise publicly." So, what the psalmist is really saying is that all peoples should glorify God and praise Him loudly and publicly.
God's lovingkindness is great, and He is merciful to us.
His truth lasts forever.
So we should always praise Him.
It's such a short psalm, but look at everything it said, and how highly it extolled God in so few words.
Sometimes that's all it takes. Just a few words. Sometimes it may take more words, but not always. I think what matters is what we say to and about God, not necessarily how long it takes us to say it.
And that's my favorite psalm. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I always do.
I also hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalm 119:1-88. It's going to be a long one, so we'll be on it for a couple days.
Today I read Psalms 115-118, and I'll be focusing on Psalm 117, which, as I mentioned yesterday, is my favorite psalm! Ever.
Not only because it's short, okay.
Praise the LORD, all nations; laud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great toward us, and the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!
That's it. That's the whole psalm. Short, sweet, and right to the point.
Praise and laud the Lord, all nations and peoples.
I'll save you having to look up laud like I did. It means to praise or to extol. Now, I really like the word extol (yes, I'm a word nerd). The word extol, and thus the word laud, if we go a bit deeper into the meaning, means to "praise highly" or "glorify." One definition even says to "praise publicly." So, what the psalmist is really saying is that all peoples should glorify God and praise Him loudly and publicly.
God's lovingkindness is great, and He is merciful to us.
His truth lasts forever.
So we should always praise Him.
It's such a short psalm, but look at everything it said, and how highly it extolled God in so few words.
Sometimes that's all it takes. Just a few words. Sometimes it may take more words, but not always. I think what matters is what we say to and about God, not necessarily how long it takes us to say it.
And that's my favorite psalm. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I always do.
I also hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalm 119:1-88. It's going to be a long one, so we'll be on it for a couple days.
Thursday, July 5, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 185: Awaken the Dawn
Good morning, everyone!
Today I read Psalms 108-114, but I'll focus on Psalm 108, particularly verses 1-6.
My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul. Awake, harp and lyre; I will awaken the dawn! I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens, and Your truth reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth, that Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and answer me!
Can you hear David's enthusiasm as he praises God?
First, he declares that his heart is steadfast. It is immovable. Even his soul will sing to God the praises He is due.
And then David goes on to declare that he will awaken the dawn with his singing.
Doesn't that sound wonderful? Such poetry. I'm pretty sure he's just talking about praising all night until the dawn comes, but let's suspend that for a moment and think about this with our imagination.
David sings praises to God so loudly that the dawn breaks, and the sun comes up. Now, when the sun comes up, what else begins to sing? The birds.
So, David is singing with harp and lyre, raising his voice to God, and then the dawn breaks, and the birds begin singing with him.
Wouldn't that be a beautiful chorus?
Now, what if we started the day that way? I'm not saying you have to be up at dawn (for all those who are not morning people) but what if we all greeted the new day with a song to God? Even in our very souls. No grumbling. No more "where's my coffee" or "get me caffeine and get out of my way" attitudes, but just a joyful song to God.
Wouldn't that be an amazing start to the day?
Now, I'm not saying you can't have caffeine. I know some of you need it to get going. But what if we all started praising God before our caffeine fix?
Wow. Wouldn't that be something? Wouldn't that really put a dent in Satan's plans? "I don't need caffeine to be awake enough to praise God. My soul even does it while I'm sleeping."
Wouldn't that be an amazing way to live?
So, this is my challenge beginning this week: awaken the dawn with your praises. Begin praising God before your caffeine.
I'm going to join the challenge, so you won't be alone.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalms 115-118, and introduce you to my personal favorite Psalm.
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 184: Remember Me, O Lord
Good afternoon, everyone! And Happy Independence Day, America! I
love tea, and I love England, but I’m glad we’re our own nation now, even
though we are not, and have never been, perfect.
Only God is perfect. Speaking of…
Today I read Psalms 106-107, but I'll focus on part of Psalm 106, namely verses 1-5.
Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Who can speak of the mighty deeds of the LORD, or can show forth all His praise? How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times! Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor toward Your people; visit me with Your salvation, that I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance.
This psalm begins cheerfully. "Praise the Lord, and give thanks!" "He is good." "His mercy lasts forever."
It continues to praise God, and then entreats God to remember the writer. However, I want to point out what I noticed here. The writer does not ask for selfish things. The writer asks for that God remember them so that the writer may see God's salvation, favor, and prosperity among all His people.
Isn't that an amazing prayer? Remember me, O God so that I can see the salvation of Your chosen ones, the prosperity of Your people.
This is like a three-in-one prayer. The writer asks God to remember them, but in the same sentences asks for God to bring salvation to His people, and then to bless them.
What a great thing to ask of God.
I admit, sometimes my prayers can be selfish, but I'm trying to be more conscious of what I say.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalms 108-114.
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 183: Bless the Lord
Good morning, everyone!
Today I read Psalms 103-105, but I'll focus on part of Psalm 103: verses 1-5, and 13-14.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. And remember all that He has done for me.
That should be my song every morning, but far too often, it isn't. Just this morning, in fact, my song was anger, and indignation, and whining. There are so many things I don't understand. It seems my wait has been going on for so long. And sometimes that makes me more upset than it should.
I'm still learning. And this psalm today was a good reminder of how I should begin my day: Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.
But God is mindful of us. He is a loving Father, who knows that we are only dust, that we are weak. And He is compassionate and merciful to those who reverence Him.
That's how I want to begin every day. By reverencing God. From the first moment I wake up, I want my first thought to be "Bless the Lord, O my soul."
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalms 106-107.
Today I read Psalms 103-105, but I'll focus on part of Psalm 103: verses 1-5, and 13-14.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. And remember all that He has done for me.
That should be my song every morning, but far too often, it isn't. Just this morning, in fact, my song was anger, and indignation, and whining. There are so many things I don't understand. It seems my wait has been going on for so long. And sometimes that makes me more upset than it should.
I'm still learning. And this psalm today was a good reminder of how I should begin my day: Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.
But God is mindful of us. He is a loving Father, who knows that we are only dust, that we are weak. And He is compassionate and merciful to those who reverence Him.
That's how I want to begin every day. By reverencing God. From the first moment I wake up, I want my first thought to be "Bless the Lord, O my soul."
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalms 106-107.
Monday, July 2, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 182: Sing to the Lord
Good morning, everyone!
Today I read Psalms 96-102, but I'll focus on Psalm 96.
I'm mostly going to share the psalm today, rather than breaking it down or talking too much about it, because I believe this one is self-explanatory.
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; bring an offering and come into His courts. Worship the LORD in holy attire; tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity." Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all it contains; let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD, for He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.
We should sing to God a new song every day, because of His glory and His faithfulness. Every day, He gives us a new song, a new reason to be glad. Each new day brings hope and promise.
We should tell of His deeds to all the nations, and give Him all the honor He is due.
Well, as I said earlier, I think this one speaks for itself, so I won't bore you by repeating what has already been said today. If you have any questions or thoughts, please leave a comment below.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalms 103-105.
Today I read Psalms 96-102, but I'll focus on Psalm 96.
I'm mostly going to share the psalm today, rather than breaking it down or talking too much about it, because I believe this one is self-explanatory.
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; bring an offering and come into His courts. Worship the LORD in holy attire; tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity." Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all it contains; let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD, for He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.
We should sing to God a new song every day, because of His glory and His faithfulness. Every day, He gives us a new song, a new reason to be glad. Each new day brings hope and promise.
We should tell of His deeds to all the nations, and give Him all the honor He is due.
Well, as I said earlier, I think this one speaks for itself, so I won't bore you by repeating what has already been said today. If you have any questions or thoughts, please leave a comment below.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalms 103-105.
Sunday, July 1, 2018
Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 181: The Shelter of His Wings
Good morning, everyone!
Today I read Psalms 90-95, and my focus will be on Psalm 91. Before Psalm 90, my Bible says it is a prayer of Moses. There are no other indications of author, so I believe the entire reading today is Moses' prayer.
So, Psalm 91 says:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!" For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark.
I love how this compares God to a great bird, who shelters its children under its wings. When we dwell in God's shelter, we are also in His shadow.
Take a minute to imagine that. When you stand in the shadow of something, and if it covers you completely, it's usually bigger than you, isn't it? It's between you and the sun's rays, sheltering you from them for a time, often giving relief from the heat. Just picture standing in God's shadow where you are protected.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
There is no need to fear when God is our refuge.
For you have made the LORD, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
Now, there are a few things I want to discuss in this part.
First, a lot of people use the "He will give His angels charge concerning you" verse, sometimes incorrectly. What I want to point out is the part before it and after it, which is how one should read any verse. They aren't meant to stand alone, though sometimes they can without the meaning changing at all.
But the verse before this one mentions making God our dwelling place, our refuge. Then He will send His angels to protect us and guard our steps.
To me, this is really important. If we are not even trying to serve God, or if we have not trusted Him with our lives and committed our ways to Him, He will not act on our behalf. Or rather, our choices won't allow Him to. Remember we have free will. He may protect us from harm, and He will speak to our spirits so that He may draw us back to Him, but He will not bless actions that do not glorify Him.
So, be careful to use this verse correctly. God does send His angels to protect and guard His people, and just because we stray doesn't mean He stops. But if we continually disregard Him, He will allow our choices to stand.
Oh, and I have heard of some Christian denominations who take the snake thing literally and use them in services to prove how protected they are. Don't do that. We are not meant to showcase our power, but God's glory.
In addition, the Bible says not to tempt or test God. And to me that seems to be what that practice is doing.
What that verse actually means is that God will protect us from things that harm us. It's using symbolism. A lion that would devour us or a serpent that would poison us (as Satan tries to do to our minds).
"Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation."
God takes care of those who love Him. He rewards those who serve Him. Did you catch what He promised here?
To those who love God, He promised: security, elevation, deliverance, help, rescue, honor, long live, and His salvation.
That sounds wonderful to me.
God is always with those who love Him. He will always protect us and help us when we ask.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalms 96-102.
Today I read Psalms 90-95, and my focus will be on Psalm 91. Before Psalm 90, my Bible says it is a prayer of Moses. There are no other indications of author, so I believe the entire reading today is Moses' prayer.
So, Psalm 91 says:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!" For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark.
I love how this compares God to a great bird, who shelters its children under its wings. When we dwell in God's shelter, we are also in His shadow.
Take a minute to imagine that. When you stand in the shadow of something, and if it covers you completely, it's usually bigger than you, isn't it? It's between you and the sun's rays, sheltering you from them for a time, often giving relief from the heat. Just picture standing in God's shadow where you are protected.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
There is no need to fear when God is our refuge.
For you have made the LORD, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
Now, there are a few things I want to discuss in this part.
First, a lot of people use the "He will give His angels charge concerning you" verse, sometimes incorrectly. What I want to point out is the part before it and after it, which is how one should read any verse. They aren't meant to stand alone, though sometimes they can without the meaning changing at all.
But the verse before this one mentions making God our dwelling place, our refuge. Then He will send His angels to protect us and guard our steps.
To me, this is really important. If we are not even trying to serve God, or if we have not trusted Him with our lives and committed our ways to Him, He will not act on our behalf. Or rather, our choices won't allow Him to. Remember we have free will. He may protect us from harm, and He will speak to our spirits so that He may draw us back to Him, but He will not bless actions that do not glorify Him.
So, be careful to use this verse correctly. God does send His angels to protect and guard His people, and just because we stray doesn't mean He stops. But if we continually disregard Him, He will allow our choices to stand.
Oh, and I have heard of some Christian denominations who take the snake thing literally and use them in services to prove how protected they are. Don't do that. We are not meant to showcase our power, but God's glory.
In addition, the Bible says not to tempt or test God. And to me that seems to be what that practice is doing.
What that verse actually means is that God will protect us from things that harm us. It's using symbolism. A lion that would devour us or a serpent that would poison us (as Satan tries to do to our minds).
"Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation."
God takes care of those who love Him. He rewards those who serve Him. Did you catch what He promised here?
To those who love God, He promised: security, elevation, deliverance, help, rescue, honor, long live, and His salvation.
That sounds wonderful to me.
God is always with those who love Him. He will always protect us and help us when we ask.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Psalms 96-102.
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