I love You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my Strength. The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower. Psalm 18:1-2
I always take note when I find Scriptures that list 7 things. 7 is God's divine number and you'll often see things listed in 7's in the Bible. So, this verse stopped me. How often do we skim over a verse like this, read the words, and go "That's nice." and then move onto the next verse. If we've been a Christian for awhile, terms like the ones highlighted above are common place. They are found throughout Scripture. And we've even made songs saturated with them. But what do they really mean??
God is a Rock! But what is a rock? It's something solid, heavy and hard, right? And if it's big enough, it's immovable. When you call someone you know a rock, you mean they are dependable. You can count on them. They don't change their mind or their moods.
Deuteronomy 32:4 gives us some insight into what the Scriptures mean by Rock.
He is the Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are law and
justice. A God of faithfulness without breach or deviation, just and
right is He.
God is a Fortress! - according to the dictionary, a fortress is a large fortified place; It is any place of exceptional security. A Stronghold. So, God surrounds us with thick fortified walls to protect us from our enemies. Like a fortress, He keeps us safe.
I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I confidently trust! Psalm 91:2
God is a Deliverer! A deliverer is someone who rescues or frees you from confinement, violence, danger, or evil. He is your Knight in Shining Armor. Your hero. The one who rides up on the white horse, fights off the enemy, places you atop his steed and charges into the sunset!!
God is your firm Strength! Strength is physical power. It is moral power, firmness, and courage. Of course we all know God is Strong. But the verse above says that He is your strength! So, when you feel weak, defeated, lonely and frightened, God comes along and boosts you up with His strength and courage!
God is your Shield! A shield is a broad piece of armor, varying widely in form and size and used as a defense against swords, lances, arrows and other weapons. In other words, when the arrows and swords of life come speeding toward you, God leaps in front of you to receive the blows in your stead!
God is your Horn of Salvation!
A horn is a sign of power (Deut. 33: 17)—literally of an ox (Num. 23:
22) or metaphorically of a people (1 Kgs. 22: 11). In Dan. 7: 8 the
horns refer metaphorically to kings. So the ‘horn of salvation’ indicates the saving power of the king. The four horns on the
corners of Jewish altar
(Exod. 27: 2) were used as sanctuary to a fugitive who ran to them and clung to them, this saving him from his due punishment. The
horn of salvation in Luke 1: 69 denotes royal saving
power as with a king saving his people.
God is your High Tower! - We all know what a high tower is. It is a sturdy structure that is higher than anything else. In ancient days, castles were fortified with high towers from which people could rain arrows down on their advancing enemies. A high tower is not only a place of defense, but it is a place where you can see for miles in all directions, thus giving yourself an advantage over your enemies.
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe, high above evil and strong. Proverbs 18:10
If you put all these incredible attributes together, you can't help but be amazed! God is immovable. God protects us. God rescues us. God gives us strength. He leaps in front of us when we are attacked. God saves us from eternal punishment and brings us to His high tower where we reign above all our enemies!! God is so awesome! He is all these things for us! You have only to believe them and call upon his name.
I will call upon the Lord, Who is to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:3
Mon Aug 13th,
ReplyDelete"Morning, MaryLu."
Well, this is my 'second' attempt at leaving a message .... don't know what happened there.
Amen, and, Amen to all that you shared from the Scriptures today ! God is indeed all of those attributes, and more ! He is SO awesome, and amazing ! I love that He is my -- fortress, high and strong tower, shield, protector, deliverer, strength, portion, horn of salvation ... and my best friend, King and Lord of Lords, the lover-of-my-soul, my husband ... and so much more !!!
Just a call to His Name ...
How very precious He is !!!
Thanks for sharing these truths and reminders with us. That we would 'remember' them, each and every day.
Take care, and, God Bless,
In Him, Brenda Hurley
Thank you again Marylu! I am in awe of what a great and mighty God we have. It's pretty cool to make a list of God's attributes and characteristics (Ps. 103 is another list too - He forgives, He heals, He redeems, He loves, He is compassionate, He satisfies, He renews ...). Add those to the list of things you mentioned, and I am humbled. What comfort it is to be so totally enveloped by Him.
ReplyDeleteBrenda, thank you for your words too. I feel like we all need to stand and worship Him together! Difficult, as we all live so far apart! We'll have to do that in our own homes for now - but one day, we will stand (or kneel, bow, dance!) before His throne together! And how great and awesome that will be!
Have a great day, ladies! :)
Okay - another thought here. I was just praying and thanking God for these things that He is. I was again, humbled, because if He is all these things, I don't need to be. I suppose that's a no-brainer, but sometimes I need to be reminded of that. He is my strength and my deliverer, so I don't have to try so hard. I don't have to try at all. What a relief. If I can just keep my focus on Him, on Who He is, then I have such a weight lifted off of me.
ReplyDeleteGod once asked me "Am I not enough?". It hit me like a ton of bricks. He is enough. I just have to remember that. :)
Amen, to what you shared as well, Caroline !!! Thanks for the reminders ... I definitely need to hear them ... again and again and again !
ReplyDeleteWe are indeed a blessed people, who serve an awesome, awesome God !!!
In Him, Brenda Hurley
I have always liked verses that talk of God has a warrior, or with warrior like characteristics. I know that is only one part of the characteristics of God, but I have always been drawn to them. God is a warrior; and he wins.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic list! My hubby is military, through which we are currently living in England, and we get to see these attributes displayed at every turn. As I send my hubby off to fight every so often, it's comforting to remember that God is there protecting him wherever he goes :)
ReplyDeleteHi Brenda!! God is so wonderful. The more I discover about Him, the more in love with Him I become.
ReplyDeleteCaroline, your revelation really struck me today. I don't have to be strong, I don't have to deliver myself.. protect myself.. He does all those things. That's why He said his yolk was easy and His burden light. Yet how often I forget that!
Hi Emma! Me too! I love the warrior aspect of God. I suppose it's because some people want to paint Him as this chubby Santa Claus type of character. He is anything but that. Yes, He's a loving Father.. but He is a warrior who protects His children!
Hi Ebony! God Bless your husband for his service. And God Bless you too!! How wonderful that you can trust God for his protection. I can't imagine how non-believers stand the fear and uncertainty of this life.