Apr 5 - Psalm 91:4

His faithfulness is

a shield and buckler.

Psalm 91:4

My verses come to me almost randomly … nevertheless, today’s verse is a perfect companion to yesterday’s passage.

Yesterday we said …

“Delighting in the Lord” is a powerful definition of faith. But it’s not the only definition. Clinging to God, the rock, in the midst of life’s storms is also a powerful definition of faith.

Today’s verse is “clinging to the rock in the midst of the storms” kind of verse.

King David wrote scores and scores of Psalms. As King, his themes were often joyful and victorious. But for much of his writing career, young David was a fugitive. A jealous King Saul was chasing the young warrior across the desert. Therefore, rather than songs of victory, David also penned Psalms of worry and lament.

Worry wants to lead us down snake holes. Despair nibbles at the fabric of our faith.

David was honest. He reveals the worries, pains, nibbles, and despair. But transcending these was always the reassurance of hope.

Try reading some of these dark Psalms. They may begin with despair. But they always end with hope and confidence: “God is faithful. He is my rock. In spite of overwhelming circumstances, I know that he is my shield.” A buckler, by the way, was another form of shield, a further form of defense. “And God is that too!”

When you are encountering life’s storms, try praying these darker Psalms. Begin by pouring out your worries and fears. But turn, with David, to the hope and confidence. God is faithful. He is always a shield.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who finds the old images

much more poetic than

if they’d been written today.

“The Lord is my up-armored humvee.”