October 13, 2026 -- Day Thirteen of Joy: Psalm 33:20-21

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Our soul waits for the LORD;
   He is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in Him,
   because we trust in His holy Name.
Psalm 33:20-21ESV
 
The man teared up, shrugging his shoulders to let me know he didn’t care that there were twenty-plus other men grabbing coffee at the end of the meeting who could see him. The worse part is, they didn’t notice him at all. That is what the point of his tears. He felt alone. By-passed. In a crowd no one would look at him. He was new to the prison. He’d come from a maximum institution, and the guys in the group were all more or less familiar with one another and had been together for a while.
 
Look again at the verse. Why is the Psalmist glad? Why is rejoicing the order of the day? Because the LORD is our help. When everyone is passing you by; He stopped. He stooped to your lowliness. He listened.
 
Why is the Psalmist glad? Because our waiting, lonely souls, have a shield. God is the protection of those who are defenseless. It is in His power now, or at the end of time, to right all wrongs.
 
We trust in His holy Name. The Name of the LORD refers to His character. It refers to His willingness to help. His Name is the gold standard—when He says He will do something; He does it and no force in all the galaxies can stop Him. No wonder that the Psalmist, inspired by the Holy Spirit, encourages believers through-out the generations to be glad in the LORD.
 
O LORD, my God, my soul waits for You. You have promised Abraham that You alone are His shield and very great reward. Through the unknown author of this psalm, You are repeating your promise. Now, as a New Testament Christian I know You have sent Jesus to be my help and my shield. Spirit of the Living God, seal these promises to my heart so that in sorrows as well as in times of joy, my trust in the LORD my God will increase. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/TxC16duiHvQ?si=QK4BTy7RvCop23ah

 

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