Friday 14 Jun 2013

Friday Reading: Psalm 3:1-3

Key Verse: Psalm 3:3
3  But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

Devotion:
David was a man who clung to God, not as a crutch but as an anchor and a shield. During a hand to hand battle we may well thank our lucky stars that we would have something to hold up as a shield to prevent our enemy from cutting us down. During a mountain climbing exercise we will be very thankful for a rope that is anchored fast to the top that prevents us from falling to our demise! David knew God as both and more.

If we are an active believer then we too should be remembering God in everything and trusting in and depending on Him as our strength and our backbone. It is not a sign of weakness that we say that we have God there but a sign of strength that we are willing to stand up for Him under duress. The harder that people fought against David the more that He clung to God. The more that people said he should forget about God the more that He lifted His holy name up!

When people do not know God they do not know His strength, His mercy, His love or His capacity for forgiveness. The closer we get to Him the more we find out just how much He does care for us and the more that we are able to be strengthened by that knowledge. It is a knowledge that goes far deeper than any head knowledge of scientific facts or love shown by fellow people. This relationship that we build up with God continues to grow and to develop until it becomes the pillar of strength within our lives.

It was no small thing that medieval people would decorate their shields with the things that were important to them; their country, their county, their kingdom, their clan etc. We should be decorating our outward appearance with the things that are important to us; God! God is more than a safety net. God is more than an honourable partner. God is more than the joy in our lives. God should mean everything to us and we should be promoting Him as such and making sure that He is in everything we do because He needs to have pre-eminence in our lives.

Points to Ponder:
Do you feel like hiding when things get tough?

Do you use God as your shield?