“Keep me safe, O God for in You I take refuge.”

Psalm 16:1

The first thing we need to understand in order to conquer the blessing of God is that faith guards us, and protects us. That is why the psalmist placed his trust in divine protection. During his lifetime David had seen the benefits of trusting solely in God. He knew that mere chance did not define the circumstances. Rather, he trusted in God. He decided to make the Lord his mentor by having the trust and confidence that even in his dreams God would guard his thoughts. It’s the same for all those who put their trust in God; He blesses them and protects them.

A word of encouragement that the Lord Jesus gives to His disciples is, “Come to me, all those who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). This means that we should completely surrender to God.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Many times we say, “I am strong; I can take care of myself; I can protect my own.” Young people, in particular, tend to believe that they are somewhat invincible and know more than they really do. In reality true protection comes only from God. All parents want their kids to have complete protection and security, no matter what. One day our daughters went out for a walk with some friends. They have always liked adventure and have a taste for extreme sports, so they decided to go canoeing in a river that is known as Black River because its waters are very dark. The canoe that they were on struck a rock and they all fell out into the water. Sara’s canoe capsized and was trapped between some rocks. She tried to move but she couldn’t. At that time she lost all hope of living and said, “Lord here I am. My desire has always been to serve and do your will. I surrender and rest in you.” When she finished her prayer and declared her trust in God, she felt that someone took her foot, pulled it and took it towards the surface. When she looked around to try and find the person who was kind enough to help, she did not find anyone. I understood then, that God had sent His angel to help her because in the darkness of the water it would have been very difficult for anyone to have spotted her.

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“Jesus is my friend. He sustains me in my tiredness. He strengthens me in my weaknesses, and prospers me when I am in need.”

Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Two.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

• Old Testament: 2 Kings 18-19; Psalms 119:169-176
• New Testament: Luke 6:27-36; Philippians 3:15-21