God is Your Defender - REJOICE!

“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.  For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”  Psalm 5:11-12 

Seldom do we who are saved stop to thank the Lord for all He has done for us.  People may attend church (once a week for most) and offer praise to God for their salvation.  But the psalmist here in our text uses the word “ever” which means we are to rejoice, to shout for joy all the time, and forever. Why? Because God is our Defender. 

If we love the Lord, we have an adversary, the old devil, Satan, who if not held at bay by the Almighty, would kill us all. And then there are people who oppose us, who even hate us, because we love Jesus (John 15:18).  They try to intimidate and discourage us, but we have a defender; God Himself who protects us from their attempts. 

I love verse 12 that tells us the Lord blesses us and with favor surrounds us “as with a shield”.  You might say we are greatly blessed and highly favored.  Though some may not like that – it’s the truth.  God loves His children. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31. 

Rejoice my Christian friend. Stop and express your gratitude to the Lord. Do it right now. Just say, “Lord, I thank you that you defend me.” Get in the habit of expressing your joy and gratitude on a regular basis. You and I have plenty of reasons to do so.

 The Pastor’s Pocket

Pastor Bruce Freeman

 

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