Welcome to Day 169 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional! This series is about finding nourishment in the Word of God to get us through the day. In each devotional, I take a variety of scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses each) and build our understanding of what they teach via their context and connecting scripture. My goal is to help you understand how to be the type of human God created you to be. Today’s passage is Psalm 18:1-3.

Psalm 18:1-3

NASB	NLT	VOICE
1 “I love You, Lord, my strength.”	1 I love you, Lord; you are my strength.	1 I love You, Eternal One, source of my power.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my savior, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.	2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.	2 The Eternal is my rock, my fortress, and my salvation; He is my True God, the stronghold in which I hide, my strong shield, the horn that calls forth help, and my tall-walled tower.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.	3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.	3 I call out to the Eternal, who is worthy to be praised – that’s how I will be rescued from my enemies.

God’s protection of his people is limitless and can take many forms. David described God’s care with five symbols:

ROCK:

God is an immovable foundation that cannot be shaken. When we put our lives in God and trust that his plans for us are the best, we learn that our lives cannot shift away from God even through chaotic times.

FORTRESS:

God is our place of safety where the enemy cannot find us. Our relationship with God protects from the evil forces of the world getting in the way of our plans with God. God won’t allow the enemy impact our work in God.

SHIELD:

God protects us from harm. God shields us from the enemy’s advances in our mind and heart and allows us a route to escape from all temptations.

POWER THAT SAVES:

God has the strength and power to save us. There is nothing that is stronger than God. There is nothing that can overpower the creator of the universe.

PLACE OF SAFETY:

God exalts us and raises us up as one of his own children. That lifting up keeps us out of reach from our enemies.

1 Samuel 2:2

NASB	NLT	VOICE
2 There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.	2 No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.	2 No one is holy like the Eternal One – no, no one but You; and there is no rock as solid as our True God.

Hannah praised God for being her rock – firm, strong, and unchanging. We face so much in our fast-paced world. People come and go in our lives. Circumstances around us change often. It’s difficult to find something consistent and solid to hang on to and rely on. If we try to continue to grasp onto things like our achievements, our causes, or our possessions, we’re only focusing on what’s finite and fluid. The possessions we work so hard to gain and achieve will disappear one day. God is always present with us. God never leaves us. God is cheering us on. God is giving us his wisdom daily. Continue to put your faith in God and He will never fail you.

Psalm 19:14

NASB	NLT	VOICE
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, Lord, my rock and my redeemer.	14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.	14 May the words that come out of my mouth that and the musings of my heart meet with Your gracious approval.

David asks that God approves his words and reflection as if they were an offering to the altar. As you begin each day, believe that God’s love will guide your words, thoughts, and actions. Pray to God, asking him to guide your words and actions as a reflection of his love to everyone you come across with. Let your words and actions be an offering to God, dedicate your daily works as an offering to his Almighty plan to bring the Kingdom of Heaven down to Earth.

Psalm 75:10

NASB	NLT	VOICE
10 And He will cut off all the horns of the wicked, But the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.	10 For God says, “I will break the strength of the wicked, but I will increase the power of the godly.”	10 I will cut off the horns of strength raised by the wicked, but I will lift up the horns of strength of the righteous.

God gets the final say at the end of it all. He will decide the final outcome, settling all matters between the wicked and the godly.  The wicked will experience final judgment. The godly will experience his faithful love. There will be a time for the wicked to repent before that final judgment occurs. If they repent at the final judgment, they will be experiencing time in the Kingdom instead of an eternal separation from God.

No matter how dark our lives can get, we must remember to continuously acknowledge God’s power over the world. We can express our gratitude to him for everything he does and provides and remain faithful to our relationship so that we can find the final justice and final victory over the world.

Next meal: Manna for the Mind #170