The Lord Our Strength, Shield and Refuge

Amid  evil people David recognized some things. The Lord gives him strength when he no longer has strength. Some battles wear us out, but the God who made us can undo the effects of weariness with time in His presence. He then is our strength. This is not generic, but a presence of God function. Most of us have felt His help through the scriptures during difficulty for His word carries His voice. But, what would happen if we sought Him more, if we sought His face, His being, to bask in all that is Him?

 

Jeremiah 29:12 tells us that is we seek Him we will find Him if we seek for Him with all our hearts. This is not a half-hearted seeking, but a whole-hearted, I must have Him seeking. Notice that David cried for mercy. This is crying out in desperation: the I must have Him or die seeking. Mercy also carries the connotation of needing grace due to sinfulness. David cried out on God’s merit, not his own.

 

The next thing David admits is that God is His shield. Many among us do not have boundaries with difficult people which allows them to hurt us often. Others of us have high walls against them, but then that keeps out the people who are good for us. For those without boundaries and are tired of being hurt He is their shield and the arrows of the evil one land on Him. For those with walls, they can learn to trust Him and let down their walls with Him as their shield. But none of this happens without drawing near for it is there we learn to trust.

 

Think about it. In the battle, and in the times of peace, what do we need but Him? Only He can give us victory for He is the victory we seek. Only He can keep our wandering hearts when times are calm. He is our refuge in difficulty and peace.

 

The result of allowing God to be our strength and shield is trust and the answers we need. Note, this is spoken by the man who brought the Ark to Jerusalem, set it up in a tent and worshipped before it regularly. He was a man of God’s presence. This is not anemic seeking while holding God at arms-length and asking for favors. He was a man of the face of God, the manifest presence of God and we too need to be people of His presence.