Praise be to you this morning, Lord God, for your wonderful Word: living, powerful, deep, transforming and encouraging. It is life-giving, guiding, convicting, protecting.
Psalm 94:18,19 says, “When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your love, O Lord, supported me.” This is so true; when I have felt abandoned, a failure, useless, unloved or attacked, you, in love, used your Word to support me. Your Spirit brought to mind passages of power, sections of strength and towers of Truth to flee to for help and protection.
When attacked by others, Psalm 37 is my favorite fortress, providing powerful protection: “Fret not yourself because of evildoers…for they shall be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb” (verse 1). This Psalm is a beacon of Light, giving perspective and guidance: “Trust in the Lord and do good, so shall you dwell in the land and be fed” (verse 3). It is the high and protecting wall of Hope: “Delight yourself in the Lord and he shall give you the desires of your heart” (verse 4).
I praise and thank you, Lord Jesus for sending the Holy Spirit to open my eyes to your love in your Word. I praise you for keeping my foot from slipping—and how often, how faithfully you have done that. “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul” (Ps. 94:19). Praise you that with your Word you combat the worry in my soul and its debilitating cousin, anxiety. You not only defeat them, you replace them with that joy of jubilation in the worship of you.
Again, Psalm 37 is often the light shining in the darkness of my worry, as conflict, false accusations and others’ displaced anger batter my soul: “Commit Your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass, He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noon day sun” (Ps. 37:5,6).
And how often did you, in the end, resolve those conflicts, bringing good out of them. This happened because you are faithful and your Word is right; it is powerful, it is effective, it is True and as we obey it–and you–we see you work all out for good, growth and your glory.