Often times when I’m at my lows in life, I turn to the Psalms. They repeatedly paint a picture of struggle, persecution, crying out to God Almighty, Him answering, or a combination of all of the above. Psalm 18 is one of those Psalms. Time after time David finds himself in need and cries out to his Heavenly Father and He answers by His word.
As I digested this beautiful meal of heavenly bread, I landed on verse 30 and was reminded of my feeble efforts and energy wasted battling my enemies. Three things are mentioned here about God’s plan to overcome our enemy:
His way is blameless
His word is tried
He is a shield
These three not only give hope but are a solid and logical strategy against our enemy.
The older I’ve gotten, the less I waste time trying to figure things out on my own. I’m less concerned about being smart and capable and more concerned about completing things right the first time and spending less time. When I Google or YouTube to find a resolution for everyday needs, I look at the number of views and the comments to see if this method is tried and others have found success. I listen closely to determine if the person is looking for me to succeed and warning me of anything that might go wrong.
Better than Google or YouTube, is God’s provision for us to solve everything that ails us.
His way is blameless. We need not worry that He will every lead us to a place of dishonor or destruction. He forever desires us to walk blamelessly in Him. The same cannot be said about our plans.
His word is tried. The Bible was written over the span of about 1500 years by around forty authors inspired by God. It has outlasted trends and fads of every generation and remains solid in its instruction and power.
He is a shield. The victory Christ won at the cross is our shield from every arrow the devil can fire. For we can surely take refuge behind this mighty shield that defends us
Reflection
Can you say your plan to succeed in the face of your enemies has these three components?
Perhaps it’s time to lay down your plans and pride in exchange for our Father’s perfect way through salvation and start living in joy as you were designed to. Get in His word daily and meditate on it as you go about your day. It will prove itself tried and true.
Prayer
Gracious God, you have given us all that we need in Christ. For His way is blameless. He became sin on our behalf that we might become Your righteousness. Your word is tried and true and has blessed us beyond measure. Teach us to delight in it and apply it diligently to every area of our lives. Let us run to You, our great shield of protection, and take refuge. You are the one true Living God and You alone have overcome death and sin forever. We sing praises to you in the name of Jesus, Amen!