#DailyDevotion Jesus Is YHWH, Your Help And Shield

Lent Day 10

Psalm 115:11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.

 

Who is this LORD we are called to fear and trust? The New Testament tells us. Jesus is the Lord. It is our confession of faith. In the Old Testament when you see LORD in all caps, that is the divine name of Israel’s God YHWH. In the New Testament when we call Jesus Lord it is not just referring to his lordship, his rule over all, but rather confessing only that which can be done through faith, Jesus is YHWH. It would be a fine thing if we had a bible which either replaced LORD with Jesus in the Old Testament or when referring to Jesus as LORD in the New to capitalize Lord as in the Old.

 

Now what does it mean to fear the Lord? Just this to hate evil. If you do not hate evil but rather run to it, you do not fear the Lord. If the commandments of God are not your joy, you do not fear the Lord. If evil disgust you however, the fear of the Lord is in you.

 

Now the corollary to hating evil, i.e. fearing the Lord, is to trust in him. Really, trusting Jesus is all God has ever wanted of us. God wants to us to look to Jesus in every time of need. We should look to Jesus for every good. He has placed Jesus before us as our help when temptations and trials come upon us. Jesus has conquered every trial in tribulation for us in the wilderness, through his life, and on the cross. It is Jesus who we should look to, to conquer our temptations and our fears. He will help you. Jesus is also our shield from all evils. Only that which is good for our soul, which will train our faith will ever come near us. But Jesus keeps all other evil things at bay so evil may not overcome us.

 

Jesus always remembers us. He is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. Just what is he asking for? First and foremost that we come to faith and that we persevere in the faith. He prays for our daily bread, that all our needs are met for the day. Jesus puts forth his blood as the atoning sacrifice for our sins to the Father and stands before him as our advocate when we fall into sin so we may receive the forgiveness of sins. Jesus prays for our protection from evil and trials and our endurance when the discipline of the Father comes upon us to train us in faith. At the right hand of God Jesus blesses us with all things that are good for us.

 

For this, we are to bless the Lord at all times. How do we bless the Lord? The liturgy teaches us: Bless we the Lord. Thanks be to God! We bless Jesus by giving him thanks and praise for all things. In everything give thanks. This is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Everything? Everything. Everything because we know, we have his promise that God works all things out for good for those who love God, who have been called according to his purpose. If we are baptized, we have been called. We have been given the Holy Spirit that we may love God  and fear and trust Jesus.

Lord Jesus Christ, we bless you and give thanks to you are all things good and bad because we have your promise of your help and shield in all circumstances. Continually bless us that we may persevere in the faith unto life everlasting. In your precious name we pray. Amen.