But you, O Lord, are a Shield about me, my Glory, and the Lifter of my head. Psalm 3:3
Do you recall a time when someone you loved, someone you looked up to, someone you adored, took your lowered head and gently raised your chin with their hand, their fingertips? You may have been a child, a teen, or an adult. Your lip may have been quivering, a tear running down your cheek. That person lifted your head until your eyes met theirs. You saw their loving eyes and sensed the caring they had towards you. Your heart was touched by this one’s protection, reassurance, and love for you, for just you at that very moment. Slow down and remember such a moment, such a person as this. Ponder the memory. Sense the moment right now.
God, our Father, feels this way about us…even more so.
God is my Shield. He encircles me with His strength, His power, and His might. He defends and protects me in ways I cannot even know.
He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in Whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me. Psalm 144:2
God is majestic. He deserves reverential love and awe as I kneel before Him.
On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Psalm 62:7
He lifts me up high. And as I stand with Him, let nothing in the world pull me down. He sent His Son to die for me and nailed my sins to that cross. I do not want to be ashamed, but to stand strong in the LORD.
What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. Philippians 1:18-20
Lifting my head is looking up and seeing the Father’s glory, His reflection, His love. His touch is gentle and kind. He created me and knows my potential. He lifts me up. Confidence is being built in me through Him.
Lifting my head helps me to see beyond my circumstances. My head is higher than anything that is not of God. None of that can control me when my head is lifted.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. Psalm 40:2
I can see above to the heavenly realm. I can know that God, my Father, lights the skies for my way as I follow Him. Fears are released and given no power for the LORD is the power.
“Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?” Matthew 12:11
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. James 4:10
LORD, I pray that each of us seek You, the Lifter of our heads, our Salvation. You call us to come before You in thanksgiving and praise. We bow before the cross, asking for forgiveness, knowing that You have already poured Your grace upon us. Abba Father, thank You for giving us vision to see beyond our current point in this life, past the pain and suffering, whether of ourselves or of those we love or of others in this world. You know all and You call us to Your side, lifting us from the miry clay. With gratitude for being the Lifter of my head, I pray in the Name of Jesus. Thank You, Sweet LORD. Amen.
Some 21+ years ago, I published a similar post on Being Woven. Originally, it was for an online devotional called “Granola Bar Devotionals.”Alisa Hope Wagner, also at enLIVEn Devotionals, the author and gatherer of writings of others, has gone on to write many books, inspiring other women to continue writing in new venues.
“For Who is God, but the LORD? And Who is a rock, except our God?” 2 Samuel 22:32
He is my God, and He Alone is my everything. Trusting in Him is the way I must turn, the way I want to turn, although I am not always faithful to do so. I do want to turn to Him alone. And, oh, when I try to go things alone I get lost, confused, independent, defeated, and scorned sometimes. But my heart’s desire is to find my God and know Him as He is. I want to seek His Name(s) and know He is my everything in all of my situations, in all of my ways, in all of my deeds. I want to praise Him for He is God. He is my God.
Worthy to be praised! Hallelujah! and Amen!
David wrote this psalm, recorded in 2 Samuel 22. Matthew Henry, from his Commentary on 2 Samuel 22 with: “This chapter is a psalm, a psalm of praise; we find it afterwards inserted among David’s psalms (Psalm 18) with some little variation. We have it here as it was first composed for his own closet and his own harp; but there we have it as it was afterwards delivered to the chief musician for the service of the church, a second edition with some amendments; for, though it was calculated primarily for David’s case, yet it might indifferently serve the devotion of others, in giving thanks for their deliverances; or it was intended that his people should thus join with him in his thanksgivings, because, being a public person, his deliverances were to be accounted public blessings and called for public acknowledgments.“
David, in his closet, his cave, most likely near the battlefield, writes these beautiful and strong words. How blessed we are to be able to praise God using these words as they pertain to our lives in the ways God means them to be used in our very lives. We have enemies whether on earth or in the air. We have troubles and mis-steps in our lives. We need to focus on the One Who rescues us, holds us, provides for us, takes the burdens from us.
And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 Samuel 22:1
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love you, O LORD, my strength. Psalm 18:1
He said, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. 2 Samuel 22:2-3
And later in 2 Samuel, David praised the Lord again with similar words:
“The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,… 2 Samuel 22:47
This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. 2 Samuel 22:31
This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless. 2 Samuel 22:33
Psalm 18 has these beautiful descriptions of David’s God, our God:
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2
“In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears. 2 Samuel 22:7
In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. Psalm 18:6
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. 2 Samuel 22:4
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. 18:3
He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. 2 Samuel 2:20
He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:19
For you are my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness. 2 Samuel 22:29
For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. Psalm 18:28
This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. 2 Samuel 22:31
This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. Psalm 18:30
“The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,…” 2 Samuel 22:47
The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation— Psalm 18:46
From “Treasury of David”on Psalm 18 by C. H. Spurgeon:
“We have another form of this Psalm, with significant variations (2 Samuel 22), and this suggests the idea that it was sung by David at different times when he reviewed his own remarkable history, and observed the gracious hand of God in it all. Like Addison’s hymn beginning, “When all thy mercies, O my God,” this Psalm is the song of a grateful heart overwhelmed with a retrospect of the manifold and marvellous mercies of God. We will call it THE GRATEFUL RETROSPECT. The title deserves attention. David, although at this time a king, calls himself, “the servant of Jehovah,” but makes no mention of his royalty; hence we gather that he counted it a higher honour to be the Lord’s servant than to be Judah’s king. Right wisely did he judge. Being possessed of poetic genius, he served the Lord by composing this Psalm for the use of the Lord’s house; and it is no mean work to conduct or to improve that delightful part of divine worship, the singing of the Lord’s praises. Would that more musical and poetical ability were consecrated, and that our chief musicians were fit to be trusted with devout and spiritual psalmody. It should be observed that the words of this song were not composed with the view of gratifying the taste of men, but were spoken unto Jehovah. It were well if we had a more single eye to the honour of the Lord in our singing, and in all other hallowed exercises. That praise is little worth which is not directed solely and heartily to the Lord. David might well be thus direct in his gratitude, for he owed all to his God, and in the day of his deliverance he had none to thank but the Lord, whose right hand had preserved him. We too should feel that to God and God alone we owe the greatest debt of honour and thanksgiving.
“If it be remembered that the second (third) and the forty-ninth (fiftieth) verses are both quoted in the New Testament (Hebrews 2:13/2 Samuel 22:3; Romans 15:9/2 Samuel 22:50) as the words of the Lord Jesus, it will be clear that a greater than David is here. Reader, you will not need our aid in this respect; if you know Jesus you will readily find him in his sorrows, deliverance, and triumphs all through this wonderful psalm.“
“For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing praises to your name. Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.” 2 Samuel 22:50-51
For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name. Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever. Psalm 18:49-50
Just this very day, Sunday, July 25, 2021, Pastor Danny preached from Mark 4:35-41, “Who Then Is This?” As I planned to finish up this post later today, I was drawn to Mark 4:41 –
And they were filled with great fear (awe/reverence) and said to one another, “Who then is This, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” Mark 4:41
Who then is This? … For Who is God? … God truly had powerful lessons for me this week through His Word.
Oh, that I would spend more time in It. Guide me, O Lord.
We sang this song in church…”Behold Our God“ twice this morning…during the music portion in the beginning of church and then as our final song. I have been singing it throughout the afternoon…praising my Lord.
The Bellevue Baptist Church (Cordova & Memphis, TN) choir/church is one of my favorite recordings of it. As I sang it from home this morning, I lifted my hands in praise and belted it out as though I have a fine voice. Only between God and me…(and Bonnie Girl, the cat), God knows the voice He created in me and He loves it when I worship and praise Him!
I delight in You, O Lord, and bow at Your feet. Blessed be the Lord for You are my Strength, my Refuge, my Rock and my Sword. Your Word is Truth and Power for and to me. Your beauty is magnificent. Your peace is the quiet in the storm, the rain on the roof, the shade of purple in a Lavender plant. Your Light is bright, a Lamp forever for all to see. I pray that I may be a light in this dark world. Your gentleness and kindness flow from the sweet words of friends, their acceptance of who I am as Your creation for, somehow, they see me through Your eyes. The Glory of the Lord is that which I sing from the mountaintops and from the valleys. You are my All in all. Hallelujah to my God on High. You are my King, my Salvation, my Love, my Husband, my Savior and my Lord. I thank you for giving me the ability to praise You, sweet and precious Lord. Thank You for raining Your mercy upon me, for opening my eyes and ears to Your saving grace. You are my God. You reign in my heart, in my life. Hallelujah! Behold, You are my God. I pray all in Your Son’s Holy Name. Amen.
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; …**
Fortress
מָצוּד
matsuwd
a castle, defense, fort(-ress), (strong) hold, be hunted, net, snare, strong place
(And just for clarity, the word bulwark means a defensive wall, rampart, fortification
a person, institution, or principle that acts as a defense.)
God is my Fortress. He is the place I run to and take refuge. He is the fortification, the wall, the stronghold behind which I crouch and know I am protected. He is the One Who places me in the cleft of the rock where I am sheltered. Praise Him for tucking me into a safe place no matter what I am going through or feeling. Right now, He is my safety net. He is the wall behind which I hide. Thank You, my Father, for You are so much more than I could imagine. Thank You for protecting me and caring about and for me as I walk through this valley of the shadow of death. Oh, thank You, Lord for protecting me.
1 And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said, “The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer, 3 my God, my Rock, in whom I take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold and my Refuge, my Savior; you save me from violence. 4 I call upon the Lord, Who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.2 Samuel 22:1-4
God is all of those to me too. David has given me a place to see just how mighty our God truly is. The Rock, Shield, Stronghold, Fortress…all depicting strength and power and security. This is the God Whom I walk with daily. I feel His sheltering Presence all around me. Oh, how wonderful!
For You are my Rock and my Fortress; and for Your name’s sake You lead me and guide me.Psalm 31:3
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My Refuge and my Fortress, my God, in Whom I trust.”Psalm 91:1-2
Lord, as I walk this journey, so much of it I must walk alone for grief is different for each one of us. There are pieces and parts that may be similar, yet never quite the same whether it is the time, the circumstances, the way one died…so many factors. BUT…I am never really alone for You are with me…always. You guide me and comfort me, love me and hold me. You are the fortress to which I come and find safety. The world cannot touch me when I abide in You for the walls of the Fortress are deep and wide. Walking obediently in You shelters me too. O Lord, I am so blessed. Yet, this road I am on is so hard, so difficult. I miss Kenneth so. He loved me like no one else. Yes, Mom loved me dearly. A mother’s love is so different than a husband’s love though. So I sense I would be comparing apples to oranges if I were to compare my mother’s love to my husband’s. Kenneth and I had a marriage with You, Christ Jesus, our Center. You never left us. Thank You, Father.
Although that threefold cord feels broken to me now, I do not believe it is. Kenneth has gone on ahead of me, as he told me near the end of his life on earth. I do not know anything about life after death, but I sense that this God-given marriage is still that…given to me, to us, by You, God. Of course, I still miss my Kenneth. I know now that he was on loan to me for 25 years for which I am so grateful. His time to return Home came. Now I am learning to walk this path with You, Lord, and without Kenneth. Sometimes I have doubts and fears. Then You remind me of the Mighty Fortress that You are. I stand inside the walls and know that I am safe and protected. I am filled with gratitude for Who You are. I pray in the Name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
**“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” Text: Martin Luther Trans. by Frederick H. Hedge
Music: Martin Luther Harmony from The New Hymnal for American Youth
Tune: EIN’ FESTE BURG
Being Woven 