The psalmist wrote, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.” – Psalm 28:7 (NIV)
Is The Lord your strength? 💪🏋🏾♀️ Shield?
Does your 💟 trust him?
Does the Lord help you? 🤺🥊
I heard about a ‘deer sports hunter’ that served jail time for taking his sport fight in the wrong direction. The story goes that this man was deer hunting and running his dogs and they spotted a perfect deer. Another hunter was hanging from a limb of a tree and decided to take the deer that was not his according to ‘deer hunter rules.’
The spot on hunter didn’t like this ‘tree hanger’ killing his deer so he turned and shot the limb holding the man. Can you imagine the ego of the man that took a Humpty Dumpty fall in front of all his hunting buddies?
The writer of our scripture, shepherd boy, king of Israel, father, grandfather, a beloved man of God, and people. Our deer hunter, beloved of God, wife, children and grandchildren. For his grandchildren would deny that such an honorable man that walks in great wisdom would have done such a thing. Others, like Mr. Trump, thought so dishonorable by many with his lifestyle and foul mouth. Yet, a president and beloved by his children and grandchildren.
Yet, David, The psalmist wrote, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.” – Psalm 28:7 (NIV)
thedailylily.com 
“Is the Lord your strength? Do you trust Him? Does the Lord help you?”
I wonder if the footnotes from the New Living Translation would help give some insight for a possible answer? The footnotes are for Psalm 42:1,2 “As the life of a deer depends upon water so our lives depend upon God. Those who seek him and long to understand him find eternal life. Feeling separated from God, this psalmist wouldn’t rest until he restored his relationship with God because he knew that his very life depended on it”….
Footnotes from Proverbs 3: 6 says: “To receive God’s guidance, said Solomon, we must seek God’s will in all we do. This means turning every area of life over to him. About a thousand years later, Jesus emphasized this same truth (Matthew 6:33). Examine your values and priorities. What is important to you? In what areas have you not acknowledged him? You may already acknowledge God in many areas of your life but the areas where you attempt to restrict or ignore him will cause you grief. Make him a vital part of everything you do; then he will guide you because you will be working to accomplish his purposes.”
Woe, I think I need to reread, pray, and make sure I am allowing the Lord to be my strength and that I am trusting Him and allowing Him to help me……like the deer is “panting for that water”.
Thanks for the footnotes, Tammy. They sure are thought provoking. I was thinking about our three mentioned men, a King, a President of a nation and a lowly deer hunter yet all surely needed the help of God almighty. Psalm 22, vs 26, and vs. 29 gives us the same message related to classes of people both the poor and the rich, to all races, nations and to all generations. Our mission to the world tells the good news of God’s salvation to all classes of people.
We are given so many different ways to know our need of dependence on God for help. As we think of the thirst of a deer panting no life without water. Our photo of a deer and cat yielding to one another in love.
My mind knows this doctrine well. Yet my heart dosen’t fully believe it because I am all over the place about my self-loathing of myself in how I give the rich man and powerful man a lot more turning of the head then I do of this poor old deer hunter. My pride goes into fast gear and off I go forgetting that salvation is for all and all can freely receive salvation. Whee, I’m with Tammy I need some reread. Prayer and thought!
I know that’s a true question, Sara and Tammy.. I heard something today that disrupted my continuity and I became distraught over it…that it might be true. I started praying and grousing over it…and finally when I couldn’t stand it any longer …then…then… I said…’.Lord! Is this true?!! [Finally !!] He answered me in my heart….”Do you trust Me?’ I was quick to respond, ‘yes, Lord, I trust You.’ That was good for about a minute and a half. Then the concern rose up, again…”LORD, how can this be true??’ Again, ….” Do you trust Me? ‘ Yes Lord…. it took a few more minutes before I asked again…. about the truthfulness of what I had heard. Then the realization that no matter what way it goes down….His ways are NOT my ways
and His thoughts are not my thoughts….and when I have prayed doing all I know to do…. it is still in His Hands.
If I am ”panting’ and ‘thirsting’ after the knowledge of the Lord, like I say I am….then by now, these things that the enemy throws our way…..and he’s still pitching a close ball game….will not vex our souls. …well, at leastnot mine, like they still do. If we trust in the Lord with all our hearts, then our equanimity should not be ruffled and our trust/confidence should not be compromised. ‘Trust in the Lord ALWAYS… and lean not unto your own understanding. ”Guard your heart with all diligence for out of your heart [soul] flow the issues of life.”
It’s there you will find the answer as to whether you trust in the Lord with the issues of my whole life.
MG, it seems from our spoken of experiences the talking enemy of our souls strategy is to round up fence riders. One day we trust the Living God, Jehovah and the next day or minute the god of this world. And, the winner is????
Yeah, the Lord stands and waits…. is it Baal again or will it be Jehovah..”.for keeps??”. Luke warm Fence riders will find themselves in desperate straits…according to the Lord Jesus, Himself….in the Book of Revelation. “”And I will spew them out of my mouth.” We do NOT want to go there!! Help us Lord make a decisive choice..”.for keeps! ”
When I read what you wrote Sara about how people felt about these three very different men, it seems they were able to look through their own glass lens beyond the dishonorable things and still lovingly embrace them. Like the photo, the deer and cat looking at each other through a clear glass. And whatever they are seeing and thinking through that glass, it appears, as you say, that they are “yielding to one another in love”. I wonder if that glass hadn’t been there, if they would do the same thing? I wonder what effect the glass lens we filter our thoughts, perceptions and beliefs through has on how we view others?
I am thinking that what Tammy wrote…. “You may already acknowledge God in many areas of your life but the areas where you attempt to restrict or ignore him will cause you grief.” may color or distort the lens.
I think what the Psalmist wrote is very needful.
I think Debi you have hit a home run with bases loaded about the love through the glass of dear and cat.
1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me complete.”
Yes, Debi…excellent question…without the glass, what then? Reminds me of the warning in the Scriptures…”Woe them who honor Me with their lips but their hearts are far from Me. Love through the ‘looking glass’ [ a darkened window as Sara pointed out in the Scripture] may not be reality at all.
I had thought, when I first opened Lily and looked at that picture….before I read Debi’s comment …I wondered if the cat were looking at the large deer and surmising that it was his own image and vice versa for the deer….peering at the small cat thinking that was its own image. There’s a lesson therein also. Well, like… that the small cat esteemed himself a lot bigger than he really was. And the deer estimated himself i diminutive in size, thus humbling himself.
This is a great thought provoking study and more should be coming forthwith….
Thanks Sara!!!
Thinking more about the comments concerning this blog…. In my earlier comments I first thought about the cat’s determining from what looked like his ”image”that he thought he was as big as the deer. And perhaps the deer peering at the cat thinking that was his image.
Then I thought about our image. As we become intimate with the Lord Jesus Christ and Father God….. considering the Lord Jesus’ atonement on the Cross for us…and His brokering reconciliation between Father God & man….that now when The Father looks. through the glass/the filter of the shed Blood of the Lamb of God and His righteousness….. Father looks at us and He sees “Jesus Christ”. Oh that we may become conformed to HIS Image… our destiny!
Debi writes in her comment above referring to out deer-cat photo saying; “I wonder if that glass hadn’t been there, if they would do the same thing? I wonder what effect the glass lens we filter our thoughts, perceptions and beliefs through has on how we view others?”
One thing that seems so fuzzy to me often when Christians gather is the beautiful giving of gifts the Holy Spirit has afforded to each believer. Yet, we want ours and we think another’s gift is a grab bag for our use. I see jealous pop up like a pick pocket kid, grab and run. Gifts are given for the edification of the body of Christ. We share with one another and all benefit. No, it seems we see the positive results we receive when we have been served well by another’s gift. So if another’s gift worked for us the only thing we think to do now is try to steal and run with it. Of course it does not work well because the Spirit is the giver of the gift and He is the direct director of the gift. We find a partial list of His purple for working through a gift in John 14:26 “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative–that is, the Holy Spirit–he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” Without having the spiritual gift there is no spirit working. It’s our feel good self.
After reading one of my morning devotionals by Sarah Young this am, I read what Sara shared above. In my understanding, the devotional sure confirmed what Sara wrote, particularly this, “Yet, we want ours and we think another’s gift is a grab bag for our use.”
Here is a portion of what my devotional said, ” I call you to lead a life that I have assigned to you, and to be content. Beware of comparing your situation with that of someone else – and feeling dissatisfied because of the comparison.”… This is one of the scriptures my the devotional writer used, “Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.” I Cor. 7:17
Sara…. a comment about the gifts: Paul says to desire the greater gifts. And to desire the gift of prophecy. Now we know through experience that it can be well…..dangerous, in some instances. The Gifts manifest themselves differently in each gifted one. The gift of prophecy, healing, miracles, Tongues, interpretation of Tongues, special faith…all manifest differently as those who employ them are different. So to desire and jealously crave the gift to manifest exactly like it does in Sister so and so or brother Tom or Harry…. one will be sadly disappointed. For those who work in the gifts that the Lord has bestowed upon them, will respond differently to Holy Spirit than the way another does to the Holy Spirit’s moving through them.
There are enough gifts to go around the entire universal Body of Christ and each one who receives, receives and manifests differently….and the Lord knows to whom to distribute which gifts . Thank God!