God is our Help and Shield - Psalm 33

 

A Psalm of David                                                  Comments by Dennis Edwards

33 Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely (appropriate) for the upright. ² Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto Him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. ³ Sing unto Him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

David often starts his songs with praise or admonitions for us to praise God. We enter into God’s presence with thanksgiving and with praise. We make a joyful noise with our song and prayers. We lift up our hands to Him without anger or doubting.

⁴ For the word of the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth. ⁵ He loves righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. ⁶ By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. ⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap: He lays up the depth in storehouses. ⁸ Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. ⁹ For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

In the above verses we see what separates the people of God from those of the world. The people of God start with “God” as their first assumption. It is not, “I think, therefore, I am,” but rather, “I think, therefore, God is.” God is the Creator who spoke the world into existence. We look at creation and stand in awe of the Creator. Augustine said, “Seek not to understand, that you might believe, but rather, seek to believe that you might understand.”

The “fear of the Lord,” or our belief in God gives the right foundation to our thinking. Abraham Lincoln said, “I can understand how a man could look down from heaven on earth and be an atheist; but I cannot understand how a man can look up into a starry sky at night and say, there is no God.” God must be the starting point of all our thinking. When we acknowledge Him in our lives and thoughts, we are starting on the right foundation. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and understanding,” Proverbs 1:7.

¹⁰ The Lord brings the counsel of the heathen to nought: He makes the devices of the people of none effect. ¹¹ The counsel of the Lord stands for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations. ¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

The Jewish people were first chosen to be the messengers of God. They rejected their calling and rejected God Himself in the nature of Christ and chose a robber and murderer to be given unto them. They had no king but Caesar. They denied their heavenly calling and chose an earthly one. They ended up serving the god of this world, rather than the true God, the maker of heaven and of earth. We who have accepted Jesus have inherited the calling of God. We are His workmanship, His ambassadors, his emissaries of truth and love.

¹³ The Lord looks from heaven; He beholds all the sons of men. ¹⁴ From the place of His habitation He looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth. ¹⁵ He fashions their hearts alike; He considers all their works.

God has put in each heart a need to be reunited with Him. We are in a search, a quest to find our true purpose in life. We naturally call out, “Oh, God, help me.” He promises that if we seek for Him in truth, we will find Him. He is not far from any of us, “for in Him we live, and move and have our being,” Acts 17:28.

¹⁶ There is no king saved by the multitude of a host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. ¹⁷ A horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

It is God alone that gives us the victory over evil. It is God alone that makes us triumph over our enemies, over our vices, over ourselves. God is the one who saves. All other help is in vain.

¹⁸ Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy; ¹⁹ To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

We hope in His mercy for we know in our own selves, we are not worthy. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are all sheep who have gone astray and are totally dependent on His mercy, love, and truth for our salvation and survival. We look to Him. Our eyes are upon Him.

²⁰ Our soul waits for the Lord: He is our help and our shield. ²¹ For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. ²² Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in You.

God is our help and shield. Nothing in our hands we bring. Simply to His cross we cling. In ourselves, we have nothing, but we rejoice in Him. He is our saving shield and strength. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, according as we hope in You.

Prayer: Lord, in ourselves, in our own strength, we can’t make it. We fall short. We have not the strength we need. Therefore, we look to You, today, Lord. May Your grace fall upon us. May we find mercy in Your sight. Give us the strength we need for each difficulty we face. May You give us the wisdom in our decision making. Help Your love and truth to overflow from our hearts and lips upon those we meet. May we fulfil Your calling in our lives, today. In Your precious name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.