Tag: 1 Peter 5:7

Who Would You Turn To?

On October 25, 2024

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalm 18:2

The combination of these words is used multiple times in the Bible. Usually when the Word tells us something twice, we are to take notice. But note how many times these words are used:

For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. (Psa. 31:3)

Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. (Psa. 71:3)

I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. (Psa. 91:2)

My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me. (Psa. 144:2)

O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. (Jer. 16:19)

Do you think our Heavenly Father was trying to communicate something to His children? I surely do! Let’s pick out the specific terms used and meditate on them a bit.

God is our Rock. I think of a rock as stable, solid, immovable. And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. (1 Cor. 10:4)

God is our Fortress. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines a fortress as:

1. Any fortified place; a fort; a castle; a strong hold; a place of defense or security. The English have a strong fortress on the rock of Gibraltar, or that rock is a fortress.

And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; (2 Sam. 22:2) God is our defense and our security. When we are walking in Him (not the world), we can be assured of this!

God is our Deliverer. Christ has rescued and delivered us from an eternity of burning in hell’s fires, total darkness and separation from God! And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: (Rom. 11:26) He also delivers us from evil as He taught us in His example of how to pray.

God is our Strength. Noah Webster defines this word, strength, as:

Support; that which supports; that which supplies strength; security.

The Lord supports us, supplies us with His strength and gives us security in those times when men fail us! And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2Co 12:9) Oh thank You, Lord!

God is our Buckler. I had a mental picture of what a buckler was but reading Noah Webster’s definition made my heart leap!

A kind of shield, or piece of defensive armor, anciently used in war. It was composed of wood, or wickers woven together, covered with skin or leather, fortified with plates of brass or other metal, and worn on the left arm. On the middle was an umbo, boss or prominence, very useful in causing stones and darts to glance off. The buckler often was four feet long, and covered the whole body.

Notice how the buckler was worn on the left arm – protecting the heart of man. This same buckler causes the enemies darts to fall off. I love how the Lord is our defense – our buckler – protecting us from the enemy! When we abide in Him, we have His protection over us. I think of being under His wings at this point!

God is the Horn of our Salvation. Horns were a big part of the Bible. They sounded for danger, they were used for heralding an event, etc. Jesus Christ is the only One who can provide us with salvation – there is no other. And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; (Luke 1:69) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Act 4:12) I am so thankful that my salvation rests in Jesus Christ. He is the only One – no other!

God is our High Tower. When I envision a high tower, I see a building that is taller than the others around it. This tower allows one to see from all around when danger is coming. This same tower also provides protection to those who are within its walls. Our Lord is our High Tower – He protects us from the enemy. We can rest knowing that He is on the tower watching out for us. What comfort this brings me! My God cares for me! Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1Pe 5:7)

We have a God who sits atop a high tower watching out for us, shielding us and protecting our hearts from the enemy. Our salvation is secure in Him and He provides us the strength we need to deal with the enemy. He delivers us from the temptations that He sees coming. As long as we stand on His Word (His Rock), we have no need to fear. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. (Heb. 13:6) Oh thank You, Lord, for this blessing today!

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Martin Luther

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Hymns 2.0 – I Need Thee Every Hour

By Kate Plourde

On October 2, 2023

In Devotionals, Hymns 2.0

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

1. I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
no tender voice like thine can peace afford.
Refrain:
I need thee, O I need thee;
every hour I need thee;
O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.

2. I need thee every hour; stay thou nearby;
temptations lose their power when thou art nigh.
(Refrain)

3. I need thee every hour, in joy or pain;
come quickly and abide, or life is vain.
(Refrain)

4. I need thee every hour; teach me thy will;
and thy rich promises in me fulfill.
(Refrain)

5. I need thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me thine indeed, thou blessed Son.
(Refrain)
Annie Sherwood Hawks (1835-1918)

The History Behind the Hymn

This hymn by Annie Sherwood Hawks (1835-1918) reflects the same general characteristics as those of the other four 19th-century women hymn writers discussed during Lent.

The women all employ first-person accounts that grow out a deep personal piety, resulting in a language of intimacy between the singer and the Savior.

A New York native, Hawks displayed a gift for verse at the early age of 14, contributing poems on a regular basis to a variety of newspapers. Though she composed over 400 hymn texts, “I Need Thee Every Hour” is the only hymn of hers that is still sung today.

Following her marriage to Charles Hawks in 1859, much of Hawks’ life centered on the domestic aspects of rearing three children. She was a member of Hanson Place Baptist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., where Dr. Robert Lowry, a prominent writer of gospel songs, was her pastor. Lowry encouraged the gift that he saw in Hawks’ poetry.

We have a personal account of the genesis of “I Need Thee Every Hour”: Hawks writes, “One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks during a bright June morning [in 1872]. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me — ‘I Need Thee Every Hour. . . .'”
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-i-need-thee-every-hour

A Lesson for Me

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

There is not a moment in my life as a believer where I haven’t needed the Lord! He’s present in every part, whether good or bad. He’s present when I sin against Him, and when I have victory over sin. There is no where that I can hide from His presence because His Spirit is with me. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

2. I need thee every hour; stay thou nearby;
temptations lose their power when thou art nigh.

Message for today

Christians seem to forget that God is omnipresent – meaning He is everywhere at all times. Just because we cannot comprehend that characteristic of God with our finite minds, it doesn’t mean it isn’t true. There are so many aspects of our Heavenly Father’s character that we fail to remember just who He is!

Psa 139:7-10 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? (8) If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. (9) If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; (10) Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

Not only is He the creator of absolutely everything, He is all powerful and there is nothing too difficult for Him. He is omniscient – He knows everything, yes even your deepest thoughts hidden in the corner of your heart. There is nothing about you He does not know. That is why it is to your benefit to confess your faults daily to Him. Keep your accounts short!

3. I need thee every hour, in joy or pain;
come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

Are you hurting and those around you have abandoned you? Turn to Him with your needs! Do you have a physical trial which leaves you without strength? Turn to Him. There is no item so small that you cannot share with the Lord. Our author became aware of her need for the Lord while she performed her duties as a wife and mother! Such simple tasks brought to her mind her need for Him. For some, it takes a major trial before they come to the realization that they need God. Our lesson here is, as believers we should seek Him and need Him every hour!!

If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Comfort During the End Times – Day 19

By Kate Plourde

On April 12, 2023

In Comfort During the End Times, Devotionals

Good morning, Reader! Have the events of the last two weeks disturbed you at all? Do you see the very fiber of our country coming apart? I sure have. I thank God that I have the Blessed Hope of the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour to Rapture His church!! (Titus 2:13) Without this hope, it would be discouraging to say the least!

We are living in a world that has lost its mind!! Men claiming they can have babies, adding genders and requiring pronouns to identify one’s self, attempts to silence Christian voices on college campuses by hurting speakers, church school children and teachers being shot and killed! Friends, if we don’t speak out and we keep silent, we are actually making a statement that we agree with all of this. Why aren’t more people standing up and making their voices heard???? Where are the American patriots who still believe in Christian values and the principles on which our Country was founded? We are being led by the nose into the pits of hell! We must speak up and be heard before our country is destroyed.

We must let the world know how good the Lord is and how He has blessed us! (Psalm 105:1)

We don’t have to be afraid of what is going to happen tomorrow. God has given us His Word so that we are forewarned and prepared for battle while we are awaiting the Lord’s return to come get us and take us away! He will do so before the devil reveals his plans through the antichrist. Friend, we are to look for Jesus Christ, not the antichrist. But, in the mean time, we are to warn others that the time is coming for us to be raptured! (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Friend, the Lord God promises to help us when we get discouraged and afraid like this! He does not leave us to our own devices because He knows how fragile we are. (Psalm 78:38-39) After all, He created us! The Lord has brought me through so many trials in my lifetime, and each time He has drawn me closer to Him through each and every trial. The song, “Through It All” has meant a lot to me during those trials. The lyrics are absolutely beautiful:

I’ve had many tears and sorrows,
I’ve had questions for tomorrow,
There’ve been times I didn’t know right from wrong:
But in every situation God gave blessed consolation
That my trials come to only make me strong.

Refrain: Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
I’ve learned to trust in God;
Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.

I’ve been to lots of places,
And I’ve seen a lot of faces,
There’ve been times I felt so all alone;
But in my lonely hours,
Yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus let me know that I was His own.

Refrain

I thank God for the mountains,
And I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms
He brought me through;
For if I’d never had a problem
I wouldn’t know that He could solve them,
I’d never know what faith in God could do.

Refrain

As the Bride of Christ, we are not to worry about what tomorrow brings. We are to trust our Groom, the Lord Jesus, and He will care for us. (1 Peter 5:7) Our job is to keep our garment spotless and be a light to this lost and dying world. We need to give them hope as we have hope! Friend, don’t be willfully ignorant of the end times. (2 Peter 3:5) If you are not born-again, confess your sins and repent of them. The time is coming when it will be too late for you to repent. You will remember each opportunity you were given by God to be saved; you will remember each time you laughed it off and ignored it. Please Reader, repent and accept Christ into your life. (Act 16:31, Rom 10:9) I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!