New Hope Oahu - Scripture Songs 11 Day DevotionalSample

"The Lord is for Me”

SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 118: 5-12 (NLT)

5 In my distress I prayed to the Lord,

    and the Lord answered me and set me free.

6 The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.

    What can mere people do to me?

7 Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.

    I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

    than to trust in people.

9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

    than to trust in princes.

10 Though hostile nations surrounded me,

    I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.

11 Yes, they surrounded and attacked me,

    but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.

12 They swarmed around me like bees;

    they blazed against me like a crackling fire.

    But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.

 

OBSERVATION:

This person was stressed out! It says that their foes were coming against them like a swarm of bees. This means that the enemy had numbers to their advantage, but instead of living in fear, this person chose to pray to God for help. God answered their prayer and this set them free from their worry and anxiety. After this, you see a complete 180 in their attitude. No longer are they distressed, but now they are full of faith and confidence in the Lord and no one else.  And since they had unshakable faith in God, He helped them to destroy their numerous enemies. What an amazing song of trust and triumph in the Lord!

 

APPLICATION:

Although this can be metaphorically applied in so many areas of my life, when I wrote a song to this Psalm I was thinking very literally. Through the years and various government administrations there have been many terrorist attacks and threats, but most recently I was very afraid of the nuclear threats from North Korea in 2017. My husband is a marine and was afraid that he would have to be deployed to go to war, and I worried about my family's safety. I was distressed. Even though things had calmed down by the time I'd found this Psalm, it brought back memories of how I'd once felt and also brought about conviction. I saw how I should've reacted to my fear. I should've immediately gone to God with my worries (also see 1 Peter 5:7 and Philippians 4:6-7), let Him give me rest (also see Matthew 11:28-30), and if it came down to it, trust in His power to protect and fight for us. While the threat of war has died down here in the US, I know that there are people all over the world who live in fear of war in their countries. I can only pray that they will read this passage and find rest and strength in the Lord.

 

PRAYER: 

Dear Father, You are so mighty! Nothing and no one can stand against You. I pray that I remember who my God is whenever I come against trouble of any kind. Please help me to stop, drop, and pray in the face of adversity, big or small.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Doulesha McCormick