FEBRUARY 16, 2024 Psalm 29:1-2 Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. There is reason to believe that this is the psalm David delivered “into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord” (1 Chronicles 16:7) when […]
The Lord is their strength, and He is the saving refuge of His anointed. Save Your people, and bless Your inheritance. Shepherd them also, and bear them up forever.
In the previous devotion, we explored the notion that God is our source for strength allowing us to withstand the attacks of the enemy, as well as shielding us from any missiles launched at us. In the verses above, David — who had been petitioning God on his own behalf — prays for the sake of the people of Israel, who he refers to as God's “inheritance.” The Hebrew word used here is of interest because, according to Jewish belief, “Your inheritance” hints at prophetic elements. Specifically, David seems to referring to the time in the future when all Israel will be together in the land living under the authority of the Messiah.
It is of interest, also, that David prays that the LORD will “shepherd them” and “bear them up” — literally elevate them — forever. This wording is also pregnant with prophetic themes. Being a prophet, as well as a king, David was aware that a time would come when Israel would be scattered through the nations, forced to live beneath the heel of her oppressors (Moses had spoken this long before; see Deuteronomy 4:25-31). Realizing they would be as lost sheep having no shepherd, David prayed that the LORD Himself would be their shepherd — keeping watch over them and guiding them until the day came He would bring them back into their own land. In that day, David understood that God would elevate them above all other nations, never again to be subservient to oppressors. As it is written:
“For thus says the Lord God: Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered.” (Ezekiel 34:11-12)
What has this to do with you and me? As it is written, “We are all His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3), and we “like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). But He is our Shepherd who watches over His people wherever they may be, never losing sight of them. Though we sometimes wander, He will guide us back to where we are supposed to be, and in so doing, bear us up above our oppressor, Sin. As His people, we are His inheritance; as for me that means that He is determined to never let go of what belongs to Him. Let us be thankful that He, our Good Shepherd, has not only saved us; He will save us and bring us safely into His Kingdom to live under His care forever, amen.
FEBRUARY 14, 2024 Psalm 28:6-7 Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him. As was mentioned in the previous devotion, the gods of the nations are nothing […]
FEBRUARY 13, 2024 Psalm 28:1 To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock. As is so often the case, interesting and provocative tidbits that would have been otherwise overlooked when reading Scripture in English, are brought to light when looking at the text in Hebrew. In this instance, let’s look at the Hebrew word translated as […]
FEBRUARY 12, 2024 Psalm 27:13-14 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord! Let me share something with you that you already know — […]
FEBRUARY 11, 2024 Psalm 27:13-14 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord! As was related in the previous devotion, it is important that […]
FEBRUARY 10, 2024 Psalm 27:11-12 Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. It occurs to me that there are a couple of ways we […]
FEBRUARY 9, 2024 Psalm 27:9-10 Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me. There is a hint of sadness in David’s words in that he conveyed a sense of feeling totally alone were it not for the […]
FEBRUARY 8, 2024 Psalm 27:8-9 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help. We live in a day when communication has become extremely convenient, and at the same […]
FEBRUARY 7, 2024 Psalm 27:8-9 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help. As expressed in this and many other prayers, David was a person focused upon pursuing […]
