Jul 21 2024

Today's Bible Verse

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

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In this verse from Psalm 28, David rejoices in the Lord for being his strength and his shield. When David needed the Lord to intervene, the Lord moved, and David is grateful for that. He thanks the Lord by singing this psalm.

What does it mean for the Lord to be our strength and our shield? In a very literal way, it means that He is our offense (strength) and our defense (shield). He is our total protection, helping us in the battle and guarding us against danger. In our lives, this means He gives us the strength to stand up against temptation, helping us say no to sin. Also, He protects us from being exposed to sin in the first place so we do not have to face temptation.

Sometimes, it doesn't feel like the Lord is our strength or our shield. We might feel forgotten or alone, afraid that He will not intervene on our behalf. Even David felt like the Lord was not with him, and in Psalm 22 writes, Why have you forsaken me? He knew what it was like to be disappointed by the Lord—and he also knew that the best thing to do in that experience was to cry out to Him.

We can trust that even when we cannot feel the Lord, He is with us. He hears our cries for help, just as He heard David's in Psalm 22 and met him. Soon afterward, David was able to write that the Lord was his strength and his shield… he now understood that he had never been forsaken by the Lord. David had learned not to use his own feelings as a gauge of truth, but instead, to lean into the promises of God.

Today, remember that the Lord is your strength and your shield. Nothing will ever take Him away from you. Ask the Lord to be your salvation, protecting you in His power and love. Like David, rejoice in the Lord, praising Him for His provision over your life.

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for being my strength. You are my shield and my deliverer. Thank you for being trustworthy, perfect, and loving always. You are so good to me. Help me to rejoice in you all the days of my life. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Jul 20 2024

Yesterday's Bible Verse

Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. :

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Yesterday's Bible study

In this verse from Luke, we learn that Jesus healed everyone who came to Him. He would lay His hands on them, and whatever ailments they were struggling with would be gone. His power to heal testified to the power of the Gospel and was responsible for the early growth of His earthly ministry. It shows us how the Lord is tender to us, seeing to all our needs.

Because the Lord cares about our needs. He is not watching us from a distance, nonchalantly observing pain or sickness. Just as He did in ancient Israel, He comes down to us and meets us. We call out to the Lord for healing, and He hears us.

Yet healing may take a long time. And sometimes it never comes in the way that we hoped. There are people who will not be healed on this Earth, but will be restored completely the moment they enter into Heaven. Even though this is painful for those of us who are left, it is sweet to remember that our time here is short, that they would not rejoin us on Earth even if they could (Heaven is too wonderful!), and we are all going to be healed one day.

The most important healing is a restored soul. Our souls were once sick with the effects of evil and sin. We were hopeless without God moving on our behalf. However, when each of us called out to Jesus to save us, He healed our souls. He restored them and made them white as snow, symbolizing purity. All Christians are a physical manifestation of a supernatural healing in their hearts.

Today, if you are in need of healing, ask the Lord to touch you. He cares about your pain and will meet you where you are. If you feel as though you are losing heart, remember that the Lord has already healed you once before when He touched your soul and reflect on the sweet promise of ultimate, eternal healing in Heaven.

Yesterday's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for being a healer. Thank you for reaching down into my life and healing my heart, reconciling me with you. Please help me to never forget the kindness that you have shown me. In Jesus' name, amen.
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