“O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. The LORD has remembered us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron; He will bless those who fear the LORD, both the small and the great.” Psalm 115:9-13
Devotional Thought For The Day
On the foundation of Who the Lord is – His awesome power and majesty, and His tender and steadfast love for His people, the psalmist encourages us to put our full trust and confidence in the Lord. He encourages “the house of Israel” – all the people of faith. He encourages “the house of Aaron” – as representative of all who serve the Lord as priests and servants of His Word. The reality is that God is our help and shield. This is so general that it excludes no circumstance, challenge, threat, or need. As we pray in the Lord’s Prayer – taught by the Lord Jesus – God is our help and defense in every aspect of life and being.
The psalmist holds out these promises to those who “fear” the Lord. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.” [Prov. 9:10] “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” [Prov. 1:7] “The fear of the Lord prolongs life.” [Prov. 10:27] “By the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.” [Prov. 16:6] “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence.” [Prov. 14:26] So it is essential that we understand what “the fear of the Lord” actually is and how it is that we may receive it. The psalmist wrote: “But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.” [Ps. 130:4] “The fear of the Lord” is not fright and terror at God’s just and righteous judgment on our sin, but rather deep awe, reverence, respect, and love for God because of His gracious forgiveness and mercy. “Perfect love casts out all fear” [1 Jn. 4:18], and God’s love is perfect! “Fear of the Lord” and “trust in the Lord” go hand in hand, the one feeding the other.
The psalmist asserts that “the Lord has remembered us.” This is an “anthropocentric” observation. God never really “forgets us,” even when it seems that He has left us alone in our troubles and is not answering our prayers. When we see that God is delivering us and blessing us in all things it appears to us that He has finally “remembered us.” However, we have His promise that He is with us always, and that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from our Father in heaven – and we are worth more than many sparrows; God even numbers the hairs on our head! [Matt. 10:29-31] So it is certain that He is ever and always our “help and shield,” and that He is ever blessing us! So let us indeed fear Him and trust in Him – all will be well for us.
The promises are held out to all people, all who fear the Lord, all dearly loved children of God, “both the small and the great.” If we are small we feel as though anyone can harm us and snuff out our hopes. But God will protect and bless us. If we are “great,” having some place of importance and influence, we see that some people envy us and we understand how others would like to usurp our wealth, power, prerogatives, and authority – and from time to time we have to fend them off. We feel as though we have greater vulnerability and farther to fall. But God also promises to protect those who are great – among those who fear Him and trust in Him. So in all things, in all phases of life, in all positions and circumstances, God has His eye on us and His powerful hand of love over us. He cares for and blesses His people for the glory, honor, and praise of His Name. So we are blessed to begin our week of endeavors with confidence and courage, in the knowledge of God’s great love for us and trusting in Him!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, remind us each day of Your perfect love for us, Your steadfast mercy and commitment to bless us. Help us to receive each circumstance and all exigencies in full faith and trust in Your power and providence, knowing that You are working all things together for our great good and blessedness. In this way we pray that You would enable us to grow in our faith and trust in You, that we may also grow in the peace and joy that You will for us to have in You. Amen.