Psalm 144:2a - Stronghold

He is my loving God and my fortress,
     my stronghold and my deliverer,

In the past few years the word stronghold has come to mean something negative to me. It is a thing which has dug into my life and I struggle to release it. This passage calls God our stronghold. Here is a definition of stronghold from the Mirriam-Webster online dictionary:

Definition of stronghold

1. 1:  a fortified place
2. 2a :  a place of security or survivalone of the last strongholds of the ancient Gaelic language — George Holmesb :  a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic a Republican strongholdstrongholds of snobbery — Lionel Trilling

I guess a stronghold itself is not a good or bad thing. Where is our stronghold? In God or in things of the world?

Lord, thank you for being our true stronghold. Help me to reject other strongholds and find my security, fortification and survival only in you. Amen. 

Psalm 121:7 - Safety

The Lord will keep you from all harm—
     he will watch over your life;

We all want to feel safe. Yesterday I was out for a walk and three little girls were out running around, following a puppy. The puppy had on a new harness, so it appeared this was a new member of their family. The little girls were trying to pick up the puppy but when they did the puppy would just squeal and try to escape their grasp. The puppy came running toward me and I bent down and scooped it up. I held it firmly and the puppy was quiet. I told the little girls, "Hold the puppy under her belly, next to your body so she feels safe." That is what we all want, we want to feel safe. As much as we want freedom, we also long for safety and security. When we give our lives to God, along with salvation and so much more, we also receive safety and security.

Lord, thank you for safety and security. Please help us to rest in your arms. Amen.

Psalm 112:1 - Fear and obedience

Praise the Lord.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
     who find great delight in his commands.

The two blog entries before yesterday sort of went together. Yesterday and today's entries go together as well. Yesterday we learned that the fear of the Lord and obedience bring wisdom and understanding. Psalm 112 is all about other blessings that come with fearing the Lord and obeying his commands, as well as being generous to the poor. The list includes wealth, riches, enduring righteousness, good, never being shaken, not fearing bad news, and more. The Lord loves us so much and looks for ways to bless us when we are following him faithfully.

Lord, thank you for your generous gifts. Please help us to fear you and obey your commands. Amen.

Psalm 61:4 - Home

I long to dwell in your tent forever
     and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

I want to go home. It is a phrase which means so many things. Sometimes home means an actual place. Other times it means family or a comfortable feeling. Home is something we all long for. Our true home is in heaven. There is nowhere on this earth which can compare. "This world is not my home, I just am passing through."

Lord, thank you for giving us a taste of home here on earth so we know what to look forward to in heaven. Please help us to always remember our true home is with you. Amen.

Psalm 59:16 - Ending with praise

But I will sing of your strength,
     in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
     my refuge in times of trouble.

As happens many times in the Psalms, this Psalm is about David's enemies trying to kill him, but always, without fail, he ends his songs with praise and trust. He is secure in the Lord.

Lord, thank you for being our fortress and refuge. Please help us to always sing praise to you in all circumstances. Amen.

Psalm 48:8 - Security in the city of God

As we have heard,
     so we have seen in the city of the Lord Almighty,
     in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
     forever.

Psalm 48 describes heaven. It describes heaven as Zion, the city of God, and remarks mainly on the security and strength of the city. This vision of heaven is a powerful one for anyone who does not feels safe and secure in this world.

Lord, thank you for the assurance of safety and security in your city. Please help us to follow your will and come to know you so we can rest in that security. Amen.

Psalm 20:7 - It's a matter of trust

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

How do you determine if something is an idol in your life? Can you live without it? Is this where you go when you are having trouble? Is this your "place" of safety and security? Does the comfort and feeling it offers satisfy you like nothing else? The only thing deserving this level of adoration in our lives is God. Our trust needs to lie only in him.

Lord, thank you for offering us yourself as the perfect subject of worship and adoration. Please help us to recognize the idols in our lives and to remove them from their pedestals. Amen.

Psalm 16:8 - Not shaken

I keep my eyes always on the Lord.

     With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Right now I am working so much, I feel on the verge of a break down. I pray all the time for God to get me through the day. I need to remember, with him at my right hand, I will not be shaken! This whole psalm was just what I needed. God gives us safety, security, instruction and hope for eternity.

Lord, thank you for being at our right hand. Please help me to always keep my eyes on you. Amen.

Psalm 7:9 - End the violence

Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure - you, the righteous God     who probes minds and hearts.

God always seems to give me the right verse at the right moment. This verse in Psalm 7 speaks directly to the heart of Americans today. Vengeance is God's, not ours, so we don't ask for revenge. We ask for the violence to end and to feel secure. God loves every person and knows their mind and heart.

Lord, thank you for making me feel secure and knowing each of us, inside and out. Please bring to an end the violence of the wicked. Amen.