WHO IS YOUR HELPER AND PROTECTOR? WHO GIVES YOU HOPE?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.
(Psalm 33:20)

MEDITATION:
Remember when you were a child and Christmas time was near?
You could hardly contain yourself as you anxiously awaited the
gifts from Santa Claus on Christmas Day. If there was a Santa
Claus in a department store, you not only wanted to see him,
but you needed to talk to him as well (you wanted to ensure he
knew exactly what you expected him to bring you).

Wouldn’t it be great to have that same enthusiasm as an adult?
To anticipate the appearance of someone in the same way a kid
expected Santa Claus to arrive. It would lift our spirits, wouldn’t
it? Being an adult includes many challenges, and we find that we
need hope, help, and protection from the influences of the world
including the temptations from Satan.

Trying to deal with all the things we face in our own strength is
just not enough. When we marry, we add a new set of challenges.
Children add more responsibilities for us to figure out how to
handle if we want to be good parents. What we need is a good
and dependable friend with wisdom to support and guide us.

The Psalmist gives us the words of encouragement we need.
He tells us that our hope is in the Lord, he tells us that our
help is in the Lord, and he tells us that our protection is in
the Lord.

Who knows us and our needs any better than the Lord? Who
knows our weaknesses and the areas here we need help any
better than the Lord? Who knows the schemes and strengths
of Satan any better than the Lord? The Lord is our hope, our
helper, and our protector. We need to incorporate Him into
every facet of our lives!

ACTION:
Are you struggling to get through life with your own strength?
If so, then why? Wouldn’t you rather have someone with you
who understands life’s challenges, and who is more capable of
dealing with them than you? Wouldn’t you like to have someone
who is filled with wisdom and can be an encourager to you every 
day of your life?

If we want to increase our faith and grow closer to the Lord, then
we need to strive to fellowship with Him daily and not just one day
of the week. We need a full time relationship with Him and not a
part-time closeness that only involves a few hours on one day of
the week.

Questions to consider:
    – What percentage of your time do you fellowship with the Lord?
    – How often do you include Him in your decision processes?
    – How often do you allocate time to talk to Him through prayer?
    – How many of your problems, challenges,
       and concerns do you bring to Him for advice and guidance?
    – When faced with a challenge,
       do you whisper a prayer to the Lord for His help and guidance?
    – How often do you ‘own’ your mistakes and confess them to the Lord?
    – How much love do you have for the Lord?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for providing me with hope
in a world that is filled with many challenges. Thank You
for being there to guide me through the maze of daily trials
I face. Thank you for being the One who can stand between
me and the temptation arrows shot toward me from the evil
one, Satan. Teach me how to make You a bigger part of my
life. Forgive my selfishness and help me to yield my will to
Your will. Create in me an excited anticipation of the return
of Your Son, Jesus. Help me to use the gifts You have given
me and become a part of Your ministry team until Jesus returns.”

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