Daily Worship

The rock who shields you

Rev Ruth Kennedy November 08, 2023 6 3
flood_defence_r_kennedy
Image credit: R Kennedy
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Psalm 18: 1-6 (NLT)

1 I love you, Lord;
    you are my strength.
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.
3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and he saved me from my enemies.

4 The ropes of death entangled me;
    floods of destruction swept over me.
5 The grave wrapped its ropes around me;
    death laid a trap in my path.
6 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
    yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
    my cry to him reached his ears.

In days gone by I was a fencer, not as in the wooden boundary we might have in our garden! As in the sport, with swords. Foils to be precise. We had no shields, no means of defence other than what was in our hand, quick thinking in our heads and swift movements in our feet and arms. At times it proved to be a painful omission from our armoury!

I know the rocks in the photo which run beside a stream look rather unimportant but that is only because we don’t see what is on the other side of the rock. They act as a flood prevention measure and contain the water in the stream, shielding the road and occupants.

 

This rock is a shield from a sword attack from a flood.

The shield has the power to keep those and that which is behind it safe.

How I would have liked a shield some times when I was fencing!

Even when there is no flood, the prevention measures and protection remains.

Even when there is no apparent need for God’s protection, he remains true to who He is.

Strength.

Rock.

Fortress.

Saviour.

Protector.

Shield.

 

God is always who He says He is. It’s one of the reasons why we are praying the Hebrew names of God this week. These names of God have been uttered from lips for generations upon generations. When we are desperate, when we are in a place of delight, He hears us from His sanctuary.

And God remains true to who He is. It’s one of the reasons it is easy to say I love you Lord.

 

Prayer:

 

I love you Lord.

The Lord is my shield, Magen, is your name.

I love you Lord.