Rowing Without Paddles

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1 [NASB])

In Genesis 15 and Psalm 91, both writers speak about the terror of night. What does this mean? For David, the man God appointed to lead His people, Israel, and a commander of an army, the terrors of night might have meant an army sneaking up and taking him and his army by surprise during the night. It could have meant the depression of the minds of his men as they awaited the battles of the next day. Or, in looking back on his life as King, it could have been the time David awaited his and Bathsheba’s son’s death. He feared it and understood the punishment was because of his sin with Bathsheba. David’s sin caused the death of the child. For Abram, the terrors of the dark night could have been the kings he and his allies defeated to get his nephew, Lot, out of captivity. The terrors that day showed his fear of not having an heir.

Terrors and fears begin in the hearts and minds of people. Satan puts the terrors and fears in our hearts and minds to distract us from the One who casts out darkness and brings light and truth to a situation and to life. Paul stated in 2 Corinthians that Satan “blinded the minds of the unbelieving so they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” In 2 Corinthians 11:14, he said, Satan must disguise himself as an angel of light to trick people, to “blind” them. Satan is not from the light of God; he is darkness and brings darkness.

This state of mind need not happen; people can avoid being tricked. How?  John said in 1 John 1:5, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness.” We can choose to follow God and have His power to defeat Satan and the darkness in which he tries to envelope us. God is more powerful than Satan and that is why Satan must resort to trickery. He knows the goodness and love of God will win people’s hearts and minds. John said in John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.” The darkness could not break through the light, but God’s light casts out darkness. Darkness cannot exist where light is.

What does this mean for us? How do we defeat the terrors of night and live the life for which God gave us the vision? With hope. With belief in God. Abram’s biggest fear as of Genesis 15 was that he would die with no heir. That was his darkness, the “terror of his night.” As Abram rested that night, God told him He would give him an heir and descendants too great to count, just like the stars in the heavens. Abram was in God’s presence. God’s Spirit came in the form of a smoking oven and flaming torch to seal His covenantal promise to Abram (Genesis 15:17). Abram dwelled in God’s presence and slept with His peace.

David defeated the terrors of the night and the arrows that flew by day by being in God’s presence, too. He said in Psalm 91:1, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” David had learned from experience that God was his refuge and fortress. He had learned to live in the presence, in the shadow, of Almighty God. David was like any other person born; he sinned. Still, David recognized God as His Lord and repented when he sinned. He trusted God over all things.

David knew from Whom to seek shelter, comfort, provision, guidance, and protection. He recognized Who was almighty. David had learned to dwell in the shelter of the Most High. He had learned to live in the shadow of God. David didn’t worship God on the sabbath then live the rest of the week solely in his own strength and with his own wisdom and reasoning. He had learned how to live while being with God. Abraham lived while being with God, too. These men recognized God as being sovereign over the world and over their lives. What terrors could defeat them? None, not with God as their strength, hope, refuge, and fortress.

What terrors haunt you? What causes you fear for your future or for now? If you are a Christian, you know Jesus as your Savior, the One who redeemed you from Satan and the power of sin and death. You already have the victory because Jesus has overcome the world. Jesus said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world.” When you are a Christian, you already have victory from the terrors of darkness and the arrows that fly by day. Remember that. Believe God will protect you and don’t allow the darkness of Satan to creep into your mind. If you aren’t a Christian, you can have this peace and hope. You can have redemption from sin and death and take refuge in God when Satan tries to force darkness upon you. Believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior who died for your sins, so you can have eternal life with Him in heaven. Give your terrors from the darkness to God and let Him be your light and refuge.

As we each live our lives and live the vision and calling God gives, we must live in His presence, under His wings. Don’t leave to do His work, instead do the work He calls you to do while you are with Him. Abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

You can’t row a boat without paddles. You can’t live life as God’s child without God.

God’s calling doesn’t mean we leave His presence to work.

It means working WITH Him.

Lord, I’m a mess. I say I am Your child, but then I later find I am not with You. I have walked off living my life by my own reasonings. In my busy-ness, I forgot to stay with You and live life with You as my guide, refuge, and strength. I trusted You with my life, but then I took it back. Lord, help me remember to live in Your presence, to live life as You lead and provide. You know all things and are all-powerful. I know only the small part of my life that is in front of me now. I cannot see the past or future and so I really don’t know how to live as You want me to live. Lord, forgive me for walking in my own way. Forgive me for taking control of my life. Forgive me for making my heart, mind, and body my gods instead of You. You are merciful and kind. You are faithful and continue to love me. Lord, I give my life to You. Please guide me with each breath I breathe and each beat of my heart. Amen.

Shield and Blessing

“After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying, ‘Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great.’” Genesis 15:1 (NASB)

As a prelude, let’s remember what had happened in Genesis 14. In that chapter, four kings of the southern part of Canaan went into battle against five other kings. In the process of this battle, King Chedorlaomer of Elam and the other three kings of this alliance took Lot, Abram’s nephew, captive along with his possessions. When Abram heard about this, he pursued the kings with his men and defeated them. He returned with Lot and all his possessions including the women and people. The king of Sodom, the place where Lot lived, offered a reward to Abram of the goods he rescued. Abram lived up to his vow to God not to take anything from this king for himself. Abram showed his desire was not more wealth, but the LORD God. God would bless him with his greatest earthly desire.

Abram explained what this desire was in chapter fifteen, an heir from his own body. Before God told him of His blessing, He spoke of something Abram and all people of the LORD would need. God told Abram not to fear, and He is his shield. In actuality, He said not to fear because He is his shield. Why is this significant? Why did God say it before He proclaimed His blessing on Abram?

In reading Genesis 15:1, God told Abram He is his shield. A shield’s purpose is to deflect the swords and other offensive weapons of war, such as arrows, darts, pikes, and claymores. A shield, as an offensive weapon, allows a soldier to punch an opponent like a metal fist and to trap the opponent’s sword hand and weapon against his body. Soldiers rely on their shields heavily. From Ephesians 6:16, we learn the shield from the “armor of God” equates to faith by which to combat what Satan throws at us. Interestingly, in Genesis 15, before God told Abram he would have an heir and numerous descendants, He told Abram that He is his shield, his faith. He does not tell him to have faith, but that He is his shield (of faith). Believe in God. Trust in Him. Faith is belief and trust in someone or something. Abram’s faith is God, and is from God. Faith is having confidence in what or who you know. In Genesis 15:1, God meant as you have learned to trust Him, believe Him because of your relationship with Him. He said this before He revealed His plan to grant Abram’s deepest desire-to have an heir from his body. Abram’s heir did not come immediately. He would need to remember God’s promise, His covenant, to Him. Abram would need to remember God is his shield, his faith. He could trust, believe, and have confidence that what God said would come true.

God reminds each of us to have faith in Him often before situations and people test our faith. Abram’s faith experienced testing several times before God’s appointed heir was born to him. Abram and his wife Sarai doubted God’s promise and tried to create his heir through Sarai’s maid, Hagar. From Abram’s and Hagar’s union, Ishmael was born (Genesis 16). Later, Abram and Sarai had a son of their own whom they named Isaac. Through God’s promise to Abram and His promise to be his shield-his faith-we can learn to trust/believe/have confidence in God, and His truths and promises. Just as God did with Abram, often God reminds us of Who He’s been for us and what He’s done for us before a trial occurs. Then, just as Abram received God’s blessing, we will get through and receive God’s blessing. We who believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior know God and from our knowledge of Him in our lives, in the Bible, and the testimony of His people, realize God is always faithful and we can have continued faith in Him.

He is our shield. He is our blessing.

Oh Lord, be my shield when trials come my way. Forgive me when my faith falters. It’s not that I don’t believe in You, but that I have allowed my situation to become greater in my mind than You. Nothing is greater than You. Please lift me up and restore my faith so I do not fail You and so that I grow into a deeper relationship with You. Amen.

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.

Know, Hear, Wait, Arise and Go

Readings: Genesis 15     Isaiah 40 

           Abram’s vision from Yahweh  terrified him. The might of God, the ability to tell of the future, the vengeance of God, is shown in vivid detail to him. Who would not be afraid of this God?  

Up to this point Abram had not seen God in action. He had only listened to God telling him to leave his family, his home, and his country. Now, God told Abram his future, being the father of many nations. Yahweh also told Abram the future for His children, Israel, and the punishment for humankind for disobedience, annihilation. In the midst of this, Abram was able to perceive the love of God, a God who not only calls out, but who protects and provides for His chosen ones. No wonder terror filled Abram. Abram glimpsed the judgment and wrath of God and, at the same time, the love and compassion of God. For people of that time, gods were neither loving, nor compassionate, but were an entity to be appeased. For Abram, this was a personal revelation.   

How awesome to be in the midst of God and be made privilege to receive a vision or word from God. The awesomeness comes from the fact almighty God deigns to speak to you, a created being, and shows His power and His heart. It is almost more than a human can take. No wonder when we read in the Bible of someone having had an encounter with God, their faces are aglow and they tell the tale of having had to hide. The glory of the Lord was too great for them to experience. It can be dumbfounding. “Awesome” describes this meeting.  

Abraham received this vision from God; he received a covenant promise from God. Next, though, we hear of Abraham taking matters into his own hands. He knew he had no heir yet, after God’s promise, so he took matters into his hands and lay with Hagar, his wife, Sarah’s, maid. Abraham could not wait the thirteen years for God’s timing, the right time, to create an heir for Abraham, a father of nations. He listened to his doubts and the counsel of his wife, Sarah, and lay with Hagar.   

Do we take matters into our own hands when we sense God must have meant for us to do the work He called us to do in our own strength? Do we strive to become the person we feel He meant for us to be? How many of us have forsaken patience and taken matters into our own hands? When God gives you a Word, wait on it. Seeking “wise” counsel from other humans, other created beings, is a downgrading of God’s counsel. Human counsel cannot understand nor make God’s Word to you come true. Other people cannot understand what God meant when He spoke to you. Wait. Be still and trust God. When the time is right, God will make the Word He gave you come to be.   

How easy for us to get busy for God. How many, upon recognizing and accepting Jesus as his or her Savior, rush to “work” for God just because “someone has to do it?” How many of us, even though we have been following Him for years, still jump in and do ministry instead of waiting for Him to tell us where He wants to use us? God did not bring to pass His Word to Abraham for thirteen years. He did not bring to pass David’s taking over the throne of Israel for nearly twenty years. During those intervening years, God was not sitting on his hands. He was busy preparing these men for His service. God was teaching them to trust Him completely. He taught them how to be leaders, how to be followers, how to be faithful in the midst of trials, how to stay tuned to and perceive His voice, and how to wait for Him to give His direction when to go and what to do. When Abraham applied human effort  to fulfill God’s promise, because of God’s seeming delay, he failed God. A new nation, the Moabites, was born of Abram’s union with Hagar. These Moabites became the thorn in Israel’s side through the centuries. We must wait. Waiting can be wearying, at times, to wait. Waiting appears to humans as inaction; however, in the peace of waiting, we learn many things; we grow.   

God spoke through Isaiah in chapter 40 regarding being in His service. If you think waiting is hard, then in the times to come, calamity and trials will find you disarmed. God had to encourage His people through Isaiah when he spoke in chapter 40, “Comfort my people.” You need to be familiar with God’s heart, His strength, and His purpose before you can go up against the foes of God. How will you understand this unless God prepares you for His purpose? In the walk with God, battles will become great and exhaustion and pain will look unending. You must know God well enough not to give up the fight and the walk. You must know the Comforter, the Warrior and Avenger, and the Provider before you can comprehend in your head, heart, and spirit God will be there with you and for you. Isaiah spoke in his book to remind God’s people He was still there and fighting for them. God had not forgotten or forsaken them. Yahweh said He had provided a place under His wing for them, and for them to take shelter and understand He is God. He said because they were walking and fighting for Him, they would run and not grow weary. “Wait for the Lord,” He said. Gain new strength, mount up with wings, run, and walk, for the Lord your God is with you, goes before you, and carries you.   

This was not just a promise for the Israelites, but a promise for today. God was foretelling, through Isaiah, He would send One who will lay mountains down and raise valleys up. He will be the One who fights for us and does not grow weary or tired. God is the One who will come after the voice crying out in the wilderness. This One is Jesus, the prophesied Messiah, and the Savior of humanity. If you have not waited for God to say go, then you have found yourself grow weary. You have most likely not heard much from God since then other than the small stirring within you, which tells you to return to God. God has already had One go before Him (Isaiah 40), now He wants someone to follow Him and declare the way of the Lord. 

We must be still and comprehend with our heart, soul, and mind He is God. We must be still and understand when and to what He is calling us. God is growing us as He makes us wait. He is making sure we recognize Him well enough so when the fighting for “right” gets fierce, we are acquainted with Him, really recognize Him, and are strong because He is beside us, before us, and behind us. If God is for us, who can be against us? This is the promise God gives us.