Our Shield!

"The Lord is my strength and my shield.

 My heart trusts in him and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

 (Psalm 28:7)

    Is there joy in our lives? Let us face it; most of us have a lot more joy (positives) than negatives. Our family, friends and associates are sources of great joy. It is summer and the grass is green; the warm days are relaxing, vacation time is special and our gardens are productive. It is easy to see this kind of joy.

    In today’s world a lot of people have a problem seeing the joys in their lives. Several of my good friends are still in career crises. Two others are battling cancer. There are always two sides to our lives. When we are down and fighting battles it is important to remember the Lord and his place in our lives. As Paul said to the Romans (15:13); "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

    Yes, in our lives there are physical and emotional joys. Our surroundings and life styles generate them. The real joy, however, comes through our Christian beliefs. It is this belief that gives us the "strength" and "shield" mentioned by the Psalmist above...

Thought for the Week: Let us keep joy at the forefront of our thoughts. When we are challenged with life, let's put up our shield.

Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, many of our friends are fighting battles. Illness, unemployment, unwanted career changes and many others. We pray for them to understand your strength and love. We pray that they may find the joy that is only available through trust in you.