NOVEMBER 15: “THANKING GOD FOR YOUR PROTECTION”

What a beautiful way to describe God in our memory verse of today. Someone once said that we human beings reason largely by means of our heart rather than our heads. He further stated that the heart has reasons that reason does not know. Poet, writers, singers, story-tellers and even artists have always known this. That is why they use symbols and metaphors that speak to our hearts, rather than our minds. That is why we can easily understand their ideas. That is also why the usual saying goes thus: “A picture is worth a thousand words” Images remain in our minds when all else is forgotten.

David tried in this Psalm to convey his message using symbols. He wrote, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress…, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold”. He was here thinking and using physical elements to convey spiritual realities. Each picture expresses deeper thoughts linking the visible world to the invisible realm of the spirit. The city called Abeokuta was known to be surrounded by rocks, which made it impervious to invaders who wanted to attack the city. Therefore, the city dwellers were most of the time victorious is their battles. They were able to hide under the rocks. A fortress is a fortified place `usually used as a military stronghold that has been fortified against attacks by the enemies, so Abeokuta was fortified by hills.

A shield is what soldiers use to defend themselves against the arrows and spears of the enemy. David in this Psalm uses these items to describe what God is to us and what He represents to us in our constant battle of life. If God therefore is for us, who can be against us? At the sight of Jesus being all these and more to us, Satan and his cohorts flee. Why then do we constantly live in fear rather than thanking and praising God for being there to fight our battles for us? We must always thank God for being our shield and buckler against the whims and caprices of the enemy.

PRAYER: Father Lord, through all the perils of my life, the seen and unseen wars and battles, give me the grace to depend solely upon you as my deliver, Amen.