Monday August 1st, 2022

I can't remember the last time I was not in a church service on a Sunday morning...well, actually, I can remember...it was yesterday-but I think you get my point. I can honestly say that I missed being in God's house-I missed being with my church family. It will be nice to get back to my normal routine when I am finished visiting my son in Missouri.

Psalm 119:114 (New American Standard Bible 1995)
You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the entire Bible. I could do a multi-week series on the different ideas that it discusses. For today though, we will settle with vs. 114. The idea of our Lord as a "hiding place" and a "shield" are seen in a few different passages throughout scripture. In essence, the Psalmist is saying that the Lord is his protector; a "hiding place" in times where fear causes him to flee, and a shied when it's time to fight.I picture King David at different times in His life-first when he was fleeing Saul, but also, when he faced Goliath. In both senerios the Lord protected David. I wonder how often we view the Lord this way in our own lives? Can we confidently say that we rely on the Lord as our "hiding place" and our "shied"...or do we try to fight our own battles and always figure things out on our own? I know I am guilt of that way too often. The Psalmist finishes by saying "I wait on your word"-meaning , I will not make a move, without first knowing my steps are being ordered by the Lord! It's for sure that I try and order my own steps way too often. I think that I am clever enough to figure things out all by myself. More than once I have gotten too far ahead of where I'm supposed to be, or, I've fallen behind due to fear. My prayer today is that I can read this Psalm, and really apply it to my own life; to live confidently, as though the Lord is my protector, and to make sure I am in step with His will for my life.