He is Our Help and Our Shield

[Christsfreeservant]

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,​

on those who hope in his steadfast love,​

that he may deliver their soul from death​

and keep them alive in famine.​

Our soul waits for the Lord;​

he is our help and our shield.​

For our heart is glad in him,​

because we trust in his holy name.​

Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,​

even as we hope in you.” (Psalms 33:18-22 ESV)​

To fear the Lord is to be in awe of him, to respect, honor, and value him for who he is and for what he is all about and for all that he has done and is still doing on our behalf. It is to take him and his word seriously, to believe what it teaches us, and to believe not only his promises, and their conditions, but also his warnings, and the consequences he promises if we do not heed those warnings. And this results in us denying self, dying with him to sin, and us now walking (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to his commands.

And if we hope in his steadfast love, we hope in God and in his divine character and will for our lives, and we put our trust in him by submitting to his Lordship over our lives, and by surrendering to his will and purpose for our lives. And in the power of God we are now living in obedience to him in faithfulness, uprightness, godliness, righteousness, moral purity, honesty, and no longer in sinful rebellion against him deliberately and habitually. This doesn’t mean we are perfect, but that we are growing daily in his grace.

And his grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await his return. For Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (see Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)

And the Lord keeps a close watch on us, because he wants to keep us trusting him and walking with him in obedience, so that we do not slip back into our former sinful lifestyles. And this is so he may deliver our souls from death. For the Scriptures teach that if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not walks of obedience to our Lord, that we will not have salvation from sin, and we will not inherit eternal life with God. So we need to take this seriously, and believe God, and act accordingly.

And I am going to tell you here that there is no greater joy, and no greater peace, and no better life than the joy, peace, and life that we have in Jesus Christ when our lives are surrendered to him to doing his will, when we are no longer taken captive to sin, but when we are now walking in obedience to his commands. And I am also going to ask that you look all around you and that you become aware of what is going on in our nations and in the world, and that you pray for discernment regarding the times in which we now live.

We live in very troubled times, times which fit much with the prophecies of Scripture regarding these last days before the return of Christ. So if you are just playing games with God, and you are not taking him and his word seriously, then please stop! Please bow the knee to God today, surrender your all to him, and from now until the day that you die follow him wholeheartedly in obedience to his commands. And be sharing the gospel message with the people of the world, but the one Jesus taught (in context).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

Caution: This link may contain ads

He is Our Help and Our Shield
An Original Work / February 5, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love