Under His Wings

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—

the Most High, who is my refuge—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91
The Psalms are going to become favorite passages of mine. I can already tell as a few days in have lead to great blessings and deeper appreciation for my Heavenly Father. I can relate to David so much in so many of his writings. I am thankful that God worked through David so that we can see that we all struggle and are all weak. I used to think weakness was a bad thing for a christian to be, but in the last year or so the Lord has shown me that it is exactly what he wants me to be. When I am weak, then he can be strong! Paul's writings have been a huge encouragement to me as well because this is the exact thing that he learned.

When I know God's strength and dwell under his wings of protection, then there are many blessings that come. He says he will deliver me from the evil things. He will cover me with his wings and I will have refuge. He will shield me with his faithfulness. I can know that God will be true to his word each and every time. What protection and hope! I will have no reason to fear anything if I cling to this truth. No evil or plague is allowed to come upon those who fear the Lord and take refuge in him! What wonderful words of encouragement.

The next truth in this passage is something I have been clinging to for some time. I have been feeling oppressed and afflicted. I had lost hope and was feeling defeated, but then someone shared this truth with me. God will command his angels concerning me! God, the commander of angel armies will command them to guard me. They will fight on my behalf and be a protection. This is so comforting in times of distress. We will be able to face things that seem impossible because we know that the God of angel armies is on our side! He is so good to his people! I hope you know this. I pray that we will all understand these truths and hold on to them for dear life. May we stand firm because God is on our side, and we have found refuge under his wings!

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows my name.

When he calls to me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.”

Grumbling about the Weather?

Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

he gathers the outcasts of Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of the stars;

he gives to all of them their names.

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;

his understanding is beyond measure.

The Lord lifts up the humble;

he casts the wicked to the ground.

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

make melody to our God on the lyre!

He covers the heavens with clouds;

he prepares rain for the earth;

he makes grass grow on the hills.

He gives to the beasts their food,

and to the young ravens that cry.

His delight is not in the strength of the horse,

nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,

but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,

in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

For he strengthens the bars of your gates;

he blesses your children within you.

He makes peace in your borders;

he fills you with the finest of the wheat.

He sends out his command to the earth;

his word runs swiftly.

He gives snow like wool;

he scatters frost like ashes.

He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;

who can stand before his cold?

He sends out his word, and melts them;

he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.

He declares his word to Jacob,

his statutes and rules to Israel.

He has not dealt thus with any other nation;

they do not know his rules.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 147

I have been admonished by the Lord this morning. The weather this year in the North has been incredibly strange, unseasonably cold, and we are getting antsy for change. It has been a hard year with the weather being so harsh. My response? A bit of complaining and grumbling. I am not alone, but still, it is something the Lord chose to deal with today. Do you see, complaining, whether we feel it is justified or not, is still complaining. The real target of my complaint? God himself. Do you see how he is the creator of even the weather every day? He sends the rains, the snow, the frost, the winds, and the springtime thaw. It is he who is over all. Instead of complaining about the weather, I should be praising my almighty God! Attitude check! The power of God should bring worship and praise, not grumbling and questions of his goodness. 

God delights when we are humble before him and fear him. He does not delight in the strength of man physically or mentally. We can be so stubborn and self reliant. God takes joy in a humble heart, a heart that acknowledges who he is and who we are before him. How can I think that any strength I can muster up would bring joy to God almighty? It is ridiculous! Only my heart being humble before the Lord can be pleasing to him. Lord, humble my heart. Create in me a spirit that fears you and you alone. 

God cares so much for us. It blows my mind everytime I get even a glimpse of the love he has for us. He is so good! He heals the brokenhearted and binds the wounded. One thing to realize however is that in order for the healing of my heart to come, I must first be broken. This comes from the realization of who God is and who I really am deep down. Oh when I see his face! It breaks my heart each and every time. It is then that he offers healing and applies ointment to my wounds. What love! The God who named the stars and knows them by name also knows me by name. He cares about me and loves me with a love I can't begin to understand or comprehend. Bless the Lord my soul!!!

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

I will praise the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

Put not your trust in princes,

in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;

on that very day his plans perish.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

who made heaven and earth,

the sea, and all that is in them,

who keeps faith forever;

who executes justice for the oppressed,

who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;

the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the sojourners;

he upholds the widow and the fatherless,

but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever,

your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the Lord

Psalm 146

Oh dear one, have you lost your hope? There are times when I struggle to keep my hope fixed on the Lord. There are times when I hope in my own strength or in the strength of others. There are times when I find comfort and security in all the wrong places. I know those are times when the Lord is jealous for me. 

This Psalm spoke to me this morning as I was reading. God is the God of all. He made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything in it. He is the judge of all and feeds the hungry. He sets prisoners free. He opens the eyes of those who cannot see the truth. He lifts up those who are humble and broken. He loves those who love Him. 

The care God has for all of us is astounding. The fact that the God of the universe is taking care of the less fortunate is so encouraging. He is in control of it all, yet He cares about me. Why would I put my hope in something weaker than the all mighty God of the universe? My God is going to reign forever! Praise Him alone and trust in Him alone. My weak heart, trust in God! Open my eyes Lord, set me free. I want to be yours and yours alone! Forgive me for my weakness and lack of trust in you at times. Be my strength Lord! Help me to only hope in you!