Thursday, July 5

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018

"But you are a shield around me, O Lord;

   you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

To the Lord, I cry aloud,

    and he answers me from his holy hill." (Psalm 3:3,4)

The preface to Psalm 3 notes that David wrote it upon feeling from his son Absalom, ostensibly during the son's rebellion against his father.  Even in this terribly stressful episode, David remained confident in God's provision:  "I will not fear the tens of thousands/ drawn up against me on every side."

In a similar vein, the apostle Paul has entered a difficult stretch of his ministry, having returned to Jerusalem with his companions, only to soon face imprisonment.  Paul had received cautionary prophecy in Acts 20, but he pushed onward.  His compulsion emerged from his love for the Jewish people, including several family members.  Some commentators argue that Paul "missed" God's calling, and Paul appears to fumble with his interaction with the Sanhedrin (Acts 23:1-5).

Nonetheless, the Lord Jesus appeared to Paul the night following his visit to the Sanhedrin, telling him:  "Take courage!  As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."  Even if Paul had indeed "missed" it, Jesus remained faithful and sketched out what lay ahead.

While we cannot read Paul's mind, his presentation before Roman courts and leaders—and later his letters from and witness while imprisoned—served to spread the Gospel even further.  He has several major opportunities in the last several chapters of Acts to bring to Gospel to the seat of political power, allowing to proclaim the rightful kingship of the Lord Jesus.

How did Paul stand firm during his trials and imprisonment?  By remaining faithful to seek God's presence!  As with David, he remembered that God stood as a "shield about" him.  Have you invited God's presence into your life for today?  How about giving God the highest place in your life for tomorrow?  Can you trust Him then to stand by you?

Lord God, thank You for being a shield about us.  Thank You for never leaving us or forsaking us, especially during times of challenges.  Strengthen us to follow You when the path appears bumpy or obscure.  Give us insight into how to speak graciously to those who may be opposed to You and Your Kingdom.  Use us as instruments of peace and grace in this world.  In Jesus's Name, we pray.  Amen.