Worship Devotional CXXXIII
Our Fortress And Defense
(The Lord Of Hosts)
Worship Devotional from 8/21/22
Psalm 46:1-3:
“God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the seas, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with its turmoil.”
As we live out our time on this earth with a hope that is alive and founded on the only sure foundation which is Jesus Christ our Lord, we will face many trials, struggles, and spiritual battles. Our fleshly bodies are temples in which the Holy Spirit resides. He empowers us from within, but our flesh remains weakened by sin’s corruption, which had once enslaved us though we are now free in Christ. When we face spiritual battles in this life, we may still feel weak and overwhelmed by the forces of evil that come against us. However, we know this from 1 John 4:4:
“You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
The one who is in the world is the spirit of the antichrist, a spirit sent of Satan himself to deceive the nations. The world is falling sway to his lies. But the One who is in us is the Spirit of the living God! His name is above all other names, for He reigns over all things, and nothing can stand against Him. He will, in His perfect timing, judge all things, both good and evil. He is the righteous and eternal Creator and Judge. His mighty name has been revealed to us in Scripture, and we can find great comfort and encouragement in it. His name is the Lord of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel who commands the armies of heaven. This is the God we serve! This is the One who loves us, who saves us, and who delights in us! He fiercely defends and protects His beloved people, which is who we are in Christ because of what Jesus has done for us. So when you are in the midst of whatever battle you are fighting, lift your head and remember who the Lord is. He is not weak or too far away to hear your cry for help. Lift your voice in prayer to the One who loves you and who hears the prayers of His people. He will come to our aid and will fight for us when we are too weak to stand. We must learn to trust and depend on who our God is. He is so much greater than we can even begin to fathom, so why should we be afraid? The Lord of Hosts is on our side. Remember Matthew 19:26, when Jesus’ disciples were shocked by Jesus’ words about how hard it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom:
“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Whatever victory or success we think we have obtained in this world by our own efforts or merits is either a fleeting illusion or not really to our credit. The true blessings that we have received are gifts solely given by the grace of God, who has allowed us to live even though we deserve to die because of our sins. He is the One who saves and delivers and redeems, who gives and restores life to all things, who made a way for us to have salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. If our God is able to do such a great thing for us as saving us when we had rebelled against Him, and yet still remain true to who He is in justice and goodness and perfect purity and love, then we can trust Him with literally anything we face. He is so great that there is truly nothing that is impossible with God. There is nothing that is impossible with the Lord of Hosts who loves and who fights for us. We must learn to take refuge in the Lord, our mighty fortress, and trust in His name through every hardship that we face in this life. In this way He will be glorified in and through our lives, for He alone is worthy!
Psalm 18:1-3:
“I love You, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my mountain where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was saved from my enemies.”
Psalm 20:7-8:
“Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of Yahweh our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand firm.”
Psalm 21:13:
“Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your might.”
Themes: The Lord Of Hosts, God Our Fortress, The Might And Strength Of God, The Lord’s Victory In Battle, All Things Possible With God, The Sovereign Plan Of God
Songs:
Scripture References:
1 Samuel 17
Job 42:2
Psalms 18, 21, 46, 56, 59, 91
Jeremiah 32:17
Matthew 8:23-27, 17:20, 19:16-30 (esp. v. 26)
Mark 9:21-24, 10:17-31 (esp. v. 27)
Luke 1:37, 18:18-30 (esp. v. 27)
John 16:33
1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Philippians 4:12-13
Hebrews 12:25-29, 13:6 & 8 & 14-16
1 John 4:4
Revelation 4:11, 5:8-14, 7:9-12, 11:15-18, 12:10-12, 15:3-4, 19:11-21