Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 10-7-20

Psalm 144:1-2
Rescue Me Lord!

There is only one strong, safe, and secure place for me;
it’s in God alone and I love him!
He’s the one who gives me strength and skill for the battle.

He’s my shelter of love and my fortress of faith,
who wraps himself around me as a secure shield.
I hide myself in this one who subdues enemies before me.

As you read the words of our Psalter passage for today, can you identify with needing a strong safe place in the midst of challenging times? If so, then you can identify with David—the worshiper—who sang this psalm as he stood before the giant Goliath. Israel could not see beyond the giant; their focus was on earthly power so their fears were fed by Satan. The Lord sent a worshiper to take authority and proclaim a heavenly victory. What fear causing giant is trying to rob your peace by standing between you and your trust and worship of the Lord?

According to 1 Samuel 17, David proclaimed the faithfulness and greatness of Yahweh as he ran toward the giant before him. David knew this giant was a strategy used by the fallen god of this world—Satan—to stop God’s people from assuming a posture of trust and worship. So, David positioned himself before Yahweh in order to receive the resources of heaven. As well, he used his words to unite and turn the attention of everyone listening toward the Lord as he spoke to Goliath, “You come against me with a dagger, spear, and sword, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel’s armies—you have defied Him! Today, the LORD will hand you over to me…the battle is the LORD’s” (1 Sam 17:45-46a, 47b). We are to have no other gods before Yahweh, so stay the course, proclaim His greatness, come against the fear-driven strategies of Satan, and call upon the resources of heaven, because salvation is from the Lord.

Ephesians 6:12 (TPT) The Apostle Paul reminds us, “Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage.”

Prayer: Lord, you truly are my shelter of love and your Word helps me to know the truth of what is going on in the heavenlies and on earth. Thank you for equipping me for every spiritual battle against the principalities that rebel against your Word inhabiting me. Please wrap yourself around me while you subdue my enemies. I am beyond grateful and I place all my faith and trust in your love. For all of your children worldwide, be our Shelter of love and Fortress of faith against every giant of fear trying to overshadow or hinder our heavenly perspective of your wisdom, holiness, and absolute power to save and deliver us from evil. In Jesus’ name. Amen.