Daily devotional, 17 May 2024
First line of defense
"God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;God will help her when morning dawns."
Psalm 46:5
Growing up in a Christian country, one of the default pieces of advice I usually receive in dire situations is that “prayer is the only thing that you can do.” As if praying is the last resort a problematic person can muster to get out of the situation he is in.
But as followers of Jesus this should not be the case. Prayer should never be treated as the least weapon in our arsenal. Instead it should be the foremost weapon, and even the secret weapon that will make us victorious.
Why? Because we have an almighty God who is sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. A God so powerful He can move mountains, part the sea, dry riverbeds, send plagues, and use disaster to bring justice upon the enemies of His people.
"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven."
Psalm 107:28-30
The early Christian church also emphasized this truth that applies to all of us, followers of our Savior and Messiah, Lord Jesus Christ:
"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."
1 John 5:14-15
Prayer should always be our first line of defense when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges. Our God should be our default go-to source of strength, power, and vindication. He should be our hiding place, our fortress should be under His wings. We should always remember that He so loves us, He will always be there to protect and deliver us.
“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.” Psalm 46:1-3
When in fearful situations, we should never put our confidence in what we can do, nor what other people can do for us. Our strength is provided for by our Creator, and everything that happens to us is in His purview. There is nothing too impossible, nor too difficult for Him to handle?
During the siege of Jerusalem, the Prophet Jeremiah poured his heart out in prayer as He sought God’s deliverance in spite of the failure and wrongdoings of the people of Israel:
"Ah, LORD God! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you." Jeremiah 32:17
God later on responded to Jeremiah with a promise of judgment, and then a promise of restoration.
Like Prophet Jeremiah, we should bring all our worries, cares, anxieties and troubles before the Lord. We should cast our cares on Him, because He cares for us. He loves us, and He looks forward to helping us if only we will humble ourselves, repent from our ways, and seek Him.
"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary;his understanding is unsearchable."
Isaiah 40:28
The Old Testament features stories upon stories of God helping people who seek Him out earnestly. King David for one has written psalms upon psalms to thank the Lord for being his source of strength and courage. Psalm 138 shows his confidence on the one true God who is his ever present help in times of distress:
"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand. Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands."
Psalm 138:7-8
No matter the troubles we face, no matter the hurts that we feel, and the difficulties that we endure, we have a God who understands and longs to help us. All we have to do is abide in Him, open our eyes to His past deliverance and blessings, and thank Him for them. Humbly lay on His feet all that we ask for, do what we can do with our present means, and then trust that in the right time, He will come to our rescue.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Psalm 121 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Is God your first line of defense when it comes to personal troubles?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for assuring me that you are sovereign. That nothing happens here on earth without your permission. Allow me to have the confidence and the default attitude to call on your name in times of distress. You are a wonderful father, and I know you will never abandon me. Amen.
