Word
You are my hiding-place and my shield; I hope in your word.
Something to think about
In today’s psalm, David speaks out of experience, knowledge of God’s word, confidence and expectation as well as aspiration. These are all interrelated.
Whereas we might consider the security and privacy of our homes as a ‘hiding place’, you and I are unlikely to equate our confidence in God’s protection with a bullet-proof jacket let alone a shield! If our knowledge of the word of God is limited, then our confidence, expectation and aspirations minimise rather than enhance our hopefulness.
It is therefore imperative that if we want to be strong, uplifting, confident and faith-building people, we need to be people of the word. We need to be people who believe in the word. We are encouraged in Scripture to ‘grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 3:18).
So taking regular checks on our spiritual growth is a critical factor in our Christian pilgrimage and the measure of our Christian witness.
People of the word bring hope into hopeless situations. There is no doubt that our private and public worlds need strong, uplifting, confident and faith-building people.
Our personal stories are our best resource. Let’s take every opportunity to share our stories as creatively as we can and help make our world a taste of heaven on earth.
Something to do
Consider ways in which you might adjust your reading of Scripture to ensure a greater impact on your Christian witness. Do you read with others? Have you tried keeping a scripture journal?
Can you pick out some passages that have particularly meaning for your witness to God's message of hope? How will you share these passages with others?