Trust in the LORD: A Psalm 115 Devotional

Focal verses: 1, 9-11, & 18

¹Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your loving-kindness, because of Your truth.

⁹ O Israel, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
¹⁰ O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
¹¹ You who fear the LORD trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.

¹⁸But as for us, we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forever.
Praise the Lord!

David wrote saying the LORD alone was to receive all glory. He then went on to show to the readers and hearers of this Psalm that other so-called gods are not gods. They can offer no help to their worshippers.

Those supposed gods are made by the hands of man. They have no mouths, eyes, ears, noses, hands, feet, or voice. David added than any person who follows these man-made gods will become like these gods, even the ones who make them.

David said these gods are ineffective and cannot help anyone. The LORD God is unlike the man-made gods. He can hear, see, speak, smell, touch, and walk/run. The LORD can and does help. The Israelites knew that and could rely upon Him.

Because of the LORD being alive, the nation of Israel and every individual Israelite could know and trust that the LORD is their help and shield. He will provide them with every form of provision they need, including protection with His shield.

The LORD’s priests, the Levites, and their families know Him and can trust in Him. He is their help and shield. They have experience with Him and can continue to rely upon the LORD.

People who have come to know the LORD God, though they are not descendants from Abraham, can have faith and trust in Him as their help and shield. These are the people who come to have faith in Him, fear and are in awe of Him, who worship and dutifully follow Him. Even the people who are not from the seed of Abraham can become children of God because their faith made them righteous, just as God declared Abraham’s faith as righteousness (Genesis 15:1-21).

Every person, whether the nation of Israel, individual Israelites, Levites and their families, or those who have come by faith to believe in God, can trust in the Lord’s help and shield. We can each know the Lord will provide everything we need for our daily living. As a people, the children of God have reason to proclaim the glory of the Lord. As verse 18 says, “But as for us, we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forever. Praise the Lord!”

No matter what the circumstances we find ourselves in today, we can trust and know the Lord’s help and shield are already at work for us. We who are His children are cherished, loved, and protected. God gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, as the ultimate and only sufficient sacrifice for our sins.

That is the greatest show of His love. How much easier it is for the Lord to help and provide for us in our daily needs. Whether great or small, our needs are not beyond the Lord and His love is greater than we can anything we can think or imagine.

Trust in the Lord and his help and strength.

Give glory to the Lord

for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do.