But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high (NIV).
Currently, I’m reading through the psalms for my personal devotions. I wanted to share this one with you as I read it this week multiple times over. I love this particular verse! David was a king, a prophet, a musician, a father, a warrior among many other things and was known as a man after God’s own heart. Using the word shield had potent significance for him – he knew what it meant to have the kind of protection that a shield provided. He also knew what it meant to have God as the one holding the shield! It is a curious juxtaposition – the human and God are both in the scene, both are willing participants, with the king ultimately, relying on God to be his shield in the midst of battle. And we know from other scriptures how serious it was – that David fought in battle to the point of exhaustion, and to such an extent that his men were worried about him. They believed he was at a risk of being killed. It was serious fighting, life and death moments all around. He also knew what it was like to be emotionally in danger, to be brought low before God, and to have emotional conflict all around him. The image of God being our shield is powerful and so useful for daily living in the 21st century- especially when we are physically or emotionally in peril; our God is with us, he is our shield. This weekend, I hope you are able to pause with your family and think, even for a moment, about our God being with us, in all circumstances. It is a cause for strength and comfort. Perhaps you can even imagine your family being covered by God’s shield.
Peace to you,
David Ward, Superintendent