LENT--DAY 7
Psalm 17 (NRSV)
Prayer for protection from evil ones
Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry;
give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.
From you let my vindication come;
let your eyes see the right.
If you try my heart, if you visit me by night,
if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me;
my mouth does not transgress.
As for what others do, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me, hear my words.
Wondrously show your steadfast love,
O savior of those who seek refuge
from their adversaries at your right hand.
Guard me as the apple of the eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
from the wicked who despoil me,
my deadly enemies who surround me.
They close their hearts to pity;
with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
They track me down; now they surround me;
they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.
They are like a lion eager to tear,
like a young lion lurking in ambush.
Rise up, O Lord, confront them, overthrow them!
By your sword deliver my life from the wicked,
from mortals -- by your hand, O Lord --
from mortals whose portion in life is in this world.
May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them;
may their children have more than enough;
may they leave something over to their little ones.
As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
DEVOTION
Today I am profoundly struck by the words in Psalm 17 which state, “Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings…”
I think this touched my heart because it reminded me of walking with my son on yesterday afternoon.
As I lifted my baby boy out of the car, he immediately stuck his hand out. He seemed to understand that there was safety and security as long as he walked close to Mama.
As we walked, I contemplated how tiny he looked and how big I must seem to him. Indeed he is the apple of my eye, my beloved, the heartbeat of our family, and the joy of my life. In my shadow, he did find refuge and safety; he knew that Mama would not allow him to stumble or fall. And he was right!
Now, if I, as an earthly mother, care so much for my baby, how much more must God care for us?
God has already said that we are the apple of God’s eye. God loves us tenderly caring for and guarding us like a parent.
God is big and we are small and yet God takes care of us as if we are the most important thing in the whole world!
Hallelujah!
Don’t you feel loved by God on this day? No matter what we are going through, we are able to hide in the shadow of God’s wings!
God is big enough, bad enough, strong enough, and powerful enough to vanquish any natural or supernatural foe that may dare to rise up against us! The proof is in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus!
See, God’s Love gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and God’s Power raised Jesus from the dead on the third day opening the door to our eternal lives in the Heavens.
Since God could accomplish such an awe inspiring and amazing feat, we know that NO-thing is impossible for our God!
Won’t you put all of your trust in God, just as my son placed all of his trust in me? If so, let us pray:
INVITATION
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaL
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