Scripture – “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.”
Psalms 84:11-12 NIV
Observation – This Psalm states that God protects, shows favor and gives good gifts to those whose walk is blameless. Those who refer to God as Lord Almighty and trust in him are blessed.
Application – What does someone’s life look like that trusts God? We know that a person that is constantly worrying isn’t trusting God. To really trust God you must believe that he is the Lord Almighty, that he has the power to do what he has promised which will provide the believer with hope. This hope gives us joy as we face the challenges of each day knowing that God is a sun and shield, he gives life and protects us from harm. It is easy for someone to read this verse and have a sense that God is withholding good if they are focusing on what they don’t have as opposed to praising God for what they do have. It is also easy for the believer to deceive themselves and be convinced they are living a blameless life, when in fact, they are disobeying God. For example, if you gossip regularly instead of talking directly to the person that offended you, you are disobeying God and your walk is not blameless. The result of this is God withholding good things from you in order to create pain or discomfort in your life which causes you to go to him for help. During this time he may show you where you are falling short and you can confess it and move forward in harmony with God and others.
Prayer – Lord, help us to be honest with you about our sin so you can create in us pure hearts so we can live blameless lives and serve you with a clear conscience.
What are you doing? Do it better 