Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
I love that we get two descriptions of God in this verse in Psalm 84: a sun and a shield. Those two things are essential to the life of the person who seeks to live out on earth in a way that honors God with our lives.
The Sun: Light in the Darkness
First, let's start with the sun. When you think of what the sun represents, it brings light to the darkness. The sun is helpful in seeing the way forward. When you are lost in a dark place, confused about where to go, if the sun rises, its bright, shining nature will reveal the way forward. It's important, in dark times, to have a sun to shine the way forward.
Also, it says that the Lord is a shield. A shield, of course, is going to provide protection when you're in a situation, maybe in battle, and there are arrows that are flying across the battlefield from all directions. A shield is something you can hide behind and keep you safe from those arrows that are flying at your body, and so you want to make sure that you position yourself behind the shield.
Two Pictures of God
I love that this verse, right out of the gate, gives us two pictures of the nature of God that are essential for us to understand, because we all can relate to both. Number one, there are so many times where, if I'm completely honest, I find myself in an inquisitive place wondering, what's the next right step? What should I do in this situation? Have you ever found yourself in a place where you need to make a big decision? Maybe you have to really make a hard choice about something and you're feeling stuck, and you almost feel like you're trying to feel around in a dark room and you don't know where the light switch is.
This verse reminds us that God is flipping the light switch and providing the way forward, if we trust His guidance rather than our own instincts. The second thing is, I can relate so much to the times where it feels like there's an attack coming from all sides. It feels like everything that I'm doing and every step that I'm taking feels labored and challenging, and I feel completely like I'm up against it or things are against me.
Trust in God's Protection
I’m thankful that there are times where I can just trust that going to the Living God provides protection and solace, that He is a shield. It says, "The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right." I think the most important thing at the end of this verse is for us not to run away with that quickly, thinking, it's up to our performance to prove to God so that if He's pleased with how good we do, then He will reward us as a result.
In actuality, what it's saying is, if we seek to submit our lives to Him to be the sun, to light our path, to be the shield who protects us, rather than trusting in our own ability to figure things out and our own ability to take care of ourselves—if we give ourselves and submit ourselves fully to Him, He will provide what we need and withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.
Doing What Is Right
The "do what is right" thing is what kind of trips us up. The thing He's talking about here is doing what is right isn't about your actions. Doing what is right is trusting in His provision alone. Our sun, our shield, the living God. What does it look like for you to remember this in your life, in your situation, as you go into the rest of your day?
