#DailyDevotion Be Strong In Courage, Hopefully Waiting On The LORD

Psalm 21 ²⁰You hide them in the shelter of Your presence, from the schemes of men; You keep them safe in a shelter from quarrelsome tongues. ²¹The LORD be praised for being wonderfully kind to me in a besieged city. ²²I said when panic-stricken, “I’m cut off so that you can’t see me,” but You heard me plead and call to You for help.

David’s praise here is a praise of faith. He has turned to the LORD for help and he believes he will receive it. It is interesting that he says, “You hide them in the shelter of Your presence.” This of course refers to the previous verse. “Them,” are those that fear and trust the LORD. What is interesting though is being hidden in the shelter of “Your presence.” Presence here is literally “face” but is figuratively “presence.” If you are in someone’s face, you are present to them. Being present to someone doesn’t usually have the connotation of being hidden but seen! But God’s face, His presence, covers us, hides us, from the schemes of men. Shelter should bring forth the Exodus presence of the LORD who was present with the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. That cloud covered the Israelites in the wilderness to protect them from the sun during the day. It also may bring the image of the LORD as a mother hen who covers her chicks with her wings to protect them. The LORD is protecting those who trust Him from the schemes of men and from quarrelsome tongues. We can hear Jesus praying this as He is before the Sanhedrin, Pilate and the crowds at the cross. Jesus is trusting the Father to shelter Him in His presence.

David again praises the LORD who was wonderfully kind to him in a besieged city. Sometimes we feel besieged on every side. The devil stirs up men and women against us from every direction. It is times like this we need to put our trust in the LORD and call out to Him. Trusting in the LORD, He will cover us in the shelter of His presence, with His face. We may cry out with David, “I’m cut off so that you can’t see me,” in a sudden panic. Remember as St. Peter, when he saw the wind and the waves begin to sink and he cried out, “Save me!” While it may seem like doubt at times, it is directed to the One who can save you, the LORD Jesus Christ. Better to cry out to the LORD in a panic than not to call out on Him at all.

²³Love the LORD, all you whom He loves. The LORD preserves the faithful but pays back in full those who act proudly. ²⁴Be strong and full of courage, all you who look hopefully to the LORD.

We are called to love the LORD as we have received His love. We know He loves us because He sent His only-begotten Son to be our atoning sacrifice for our sin, not only for our sin, but the sin of the whole world. The LORD Jesus Christ does preserve the faithful. He keeps in the shadow of His hand. No one can take us from His hand. We see what happened to the proud in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Those living there at the time did not put their trust in the resurrected Messiah who is sitting at the right hand of God. Those who trusted Him left the city when they saw Jesus’ words coming to pass. All those who proudly do not put their trust in Christ Jesus ultimately will be paid back in full for their sins. If you don’t accept Jesus’ payment by His blood you will have to pay the price yourselves. So be strong and full of courage as disaster, enemies, trials and tribulations come upon you. Look hopefully to the LORD. He will not disappoint you. You will not be ashamed on the day of His coming. Instead you will be magnified before all those who did not look to Jesus in hope and faith.

Heavenly Father, continually keep us in the shelter of Your presence, so we may continually sing Your praises and Your Son, Jesus Christ, now and on the day of His revelation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.