Category: Psalms

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Love and Protection

Now before we look at the final few verses of Psalm 91 I must make a statement. I hear from time to time from well-meaning people, “You can’t just take verses out of the Bible and really believe that they will work for you. Sometimes God doesn’t work like that.” Well, if you or I made a promise and we didn’t keep it we would be lying and God’s not a liar. When He makes a promise He keeps it!

He is a loving, compassionate Father and He desires the very best for His kids. When you come face to face with the love of God, you find He is so much greater than we can possibly comprehend. God’s love is the basis of all He does. He is love! When you see how love works, you see God! The verses in I Corinthians 13, the love chapter, are a description of God.

Love is “patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful, 5 not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not gloat over other people’s sins but takes its delight in the truth.7 Love always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures.8 Love never ends…” vs 4-8 CJV

Now replace love is with God is “patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful,5 not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered, and it(He) keeps no record of wrongs.6 Love (God) does not gloat over other people’s sins but takes its (his) delight in the truth. 7 Love (God) always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures.8 Love (God) never ends”.

That’s who our Father is! Now let’s look at the last 3 verses of Psalm 91. This is God talking about what He will do for those who live in the “secret place, under the shadow of the Almighty”.

“Because he loves me, I will rescue him; because he knows my name, I will protect him. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him when he is in trouble. I will extricate him and bring him honor. 16 I will satisfy him with long life and show him my salvation.” Vs 14-16 CJV

Now one more thing – replace the 3rd person pronoun “he” with your name and read it again. This is who God is and what He desires to do on our behalf!

“Because he (Kristi) has set his (her) love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him (her); I will set him (Kristi) on high, because he (She) knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him (her), no, never].

15 He (Kristi) shall call upon Me, and I will answer him (Her); I will be with him (Kristi) in trouble, I will deliver him (her) and honor him (her).

16 With long life will I satisfy him(Kristi) and show him (her) My salvation. Vs 14-16 AMP

There’s an old song that talks about the love of God. One verse says this

“Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.”

Next time you see that beautiful expanse of sky imagine that it is filled with the words “I Love You”. Written there over and over again, the Father conveying His love for us. His love has no end.

Knowing God’s word and fellowshipping with the Father in prayer is the greatest thing we as His children can do!

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Rattlesnakes & Storms

I forgot to tell you the other day when we started this study in Psalm 91, I like to read this Psalm in the first person. It makes it personal and I am also really enjoying reading it in the Complete Jewish Bible. It gives me additional insight on this Psalm.

“For you have made Adonai, the Most High, who is my refuge, your dwelling-place.
10 No disaster will happen to you, no calamity will come near your tent;
11 for he will order his angels to care for you and guard you wherever you go.
12 They will carry you in their hands, so that you won’t trip on a stone.
13 You will tread down lions and snakes, young lions and serpents you will trample underfoot.” Vs 9-13 CJV

For I have made the Most High my refuge and my dwelling place – no disaster will happen to me and no calamity will come near my tent.

When we would go back to work in Iowa I was introduced to tornado warnings. I had never experienced anything like this before. I would have to fight fear the first couple years and then the last few years, I could go through those experiences in peace because the Holy Spirit brought these verses to my heart – not just my mind – but really settled them in my heart. “No calamity will come near my tent or RV as the case may be”.

When I read these verses I am often reminded of Peter and the other disciples that were on the sea with the waves beating against the boat and the wind blowing a gale force. Jesus was sleeping while the disciples were bailing water. They woke him up and said “Master don’t you care – we’re about to sink”. But Jesus reaction was completely different.

“And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled. 38 But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing? 39 And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm (a perfect peacefulness). 40 He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)? 41 And they were filled with great awe and feared exceedingly and said one to another, Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?” Mark 4:37-41 AMP

No fear! Resting in the promises of God’s word.

If you remember satan used Psalm 91:11-12 as one of the temptations that he brought to Jesus. “for he will order his angels to care for you and guard you wherever you go. 12 They will carry you in their hands, so that you won’t trip on a stone.” But Jesus comment was that He would not tempt the Lord, His God.

We can confidently trust in God’s protection and power when circumstances come against us but we also have the admonition not to be foolish in our actions and then say we are using these verses as our protection.

Years back we lived verse 13 on a daily basis. “You will tread down lions and snakes, young lions and serpents you will trample underfoot.” Farming alfalfa in the Arizona desert we had daily encounters with rattlesnakes. We learned to live and walk cautiously. We taught our children how to play wisely and we prayed this verse and Luke 10:19

“Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.” AMP

We put God’s work to work! And we saw it come to pass on several different occasions. Working late at night, changing water, we had a couple of experiences of actually stepping on rattlesnakes and not having them coil, rattle or strike. We saw God’s word at work on our behalf.

This Psalm is your personal promise from the Father. It was confidence in God and His word that let Daniel sleep in a lion’s den and Jesus sleep on the stormy sea. God’s word is practical and He has given us His word to use in our lives.

Live it daily!

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Going Through Dangerous Times

Yesterday afternoon I got to thinking about how good God is and the writing I had posted yesterday morning. The thought came up in my heart that you might think I am saying that when we live under the shadow of the Almighty that evil circumstances don’t even come our way. That’s not it at all! God’s hand of protection keeps us from some things and guides us through others. We’ll never know how many times we were spared from certain situations and that’s a testimony to God’s protection but when we do go through situations and recognize that God is bringing us through victoriously that too is a testimony.

“A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it won’t come near you.
8 Only keep your eyes open, and you will see how the wicked are punished.” Psalm 91:7-8 CJB

David had faced many battles. He had faced the Philistines when he was just a young man. Then as he grew older he faced many enemies and was engaged in hand to hand combat. He knew about enemies falling at his side. He even had King Saul pursuing him through the desert; Saul was jealous of David and even though David destroyed Goliath, Saul was set on killing David himself. Time and time again, David saw the Lord deliver him.

The Bible is filled with examples of those who followed the Lord, depended on His protection and were saved. First example would be Noah. He preached repentance the whole time he was building the ark but no one repented – only he and his family were saved.

Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abindego, Rahab, Esther, Peter, Paul, John and Jesus – now these are some folks with testimonies of God’s protection and power. Their stories are to be examples for us. Paul wrote in his letter to the Christians in the church at Thessalonica

“We always thank God that you believed the message we preached. It came from him, and it isn’t something made up by humans. You accepted it as God’s message, and now he is working in you.”

I Thessalonians 2:13 CEV

It’s important that we recognize and receive God’s word as exactly that – God’s word. There is no higher authority – there is no error. It is truth!

Jesus said that in the last days men’s hearts would fail them for fear. We are seeing so many things around us that can cause us to be fearful and anxious but when we look to God’s Word we find protection, peace, joy, hope – we find the God and Father of our salvation!

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We’re Protected – Under His Wings

Remember when you were little a thought there might be monsters under the bed? As a child, I was plagued with nightmares. Until one night I made friends with the biggest monster in my dreams. After that whenever I would have a nightmare I would just call on my monster friend and he would come scare off all the other monsters that were there to hurt me. When I saw the movie Monsters Inc, I was reminded of my friend because he looked a lot like Sulley.

But now I don’t make friends with monsters, instead I can rely on the Father and His Word.

“3 For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

4 [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,

6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.” Psalm 91:3-6 AMP

In this day of terror plots, road rage, random shootings and all the mayhem that is loose in our world, not to mention the daily dangers we are exposed to, living in the power of God’s Word is such a comfort.

These are the verses above from the Complete Jewish Bible.

“he will rescue you from the trap of the hunter and from the plague of calamities;
4 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge;
his truth is a shield and protection.

5 You will not fear the terrors of night or the arrow that flies by day,
6 or the plague that roams in the dark, or the scourge that wreaks havoc at noon.” Vs 3-6

The way I see it, the Lord promises to protect us from hidden peril – from the things we can’t see. A bird doesn’t see the trap until it’s caught and plagues come without advance warning.

Then He also protects from disasters that can be seen. The picture in verse 4 is that of a mother hen or bird that sets herself down over the top of her chicks to protect them from danger. She risks her own life and cuddles her young under her wings. Isn’t that what Jesus did for us? He gave His own life to protect us from the ravages of sin and its effects.

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Romans 8:31-35 KJV

No matter what time of day – night, daylight, or noon day, the Lord promises to be there and be our protection. When my children were little, Dave and I would pray with them and over them each morning before they headed out to school. We would pray these verses over them then and we still do now. But now we’ve added their spouses and our grandchildren. Just the other day our daughter was protected from being hit by a car as she was out jogging and I have no idea how many times our son has been protected as he has been at work, he’s a firefighter in a very busy city.

We have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles, literally, in our vehicle without ever having an accident. We’ve been in the presence of danger many times and not even known it until later and then we saw how God’s hand protected.

We can take these verses as our own and use them to bring a covering of protection for our families as well. God’s word is true; He does not lie! But it doesn’t just come automatically we have to appropriate it – we have to believe it. Just like the electricity that comes into our homes; it’s there but we will sit in the dark and the cold unless we turn on the switch and put the power to work.

Turn on the switch in prayer and watch the power of God work in your life! Let me end with this. God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours – His plan of protection is better than ours. As the rain is higher than the earth and comes down to cover the earth; God’s ways are higher than our thinking and He rains down His protection to cover us.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Isaiah 55: 8-12 KJV

God’s word will cause our lives to bring in a crop of good fruit – it will cause us to prosper and our lives to be filled with joy and peace.

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A Place of Protection

In the last few weeks we have been overwhelmed with pictures on the news: pictures of floods, fire and the devastation of hurricanes. This morning I heard of a large earthquake in Mexico and I’m sure there will be pictures from that as well. Seems there are disasters everywhere.

I hear people around us expressing their thanks and gratitude for living in an area that isn’t subject to such conditions. I agree completely. But there really is no place that is assured of safety, no place but one. Let me ask you, where do you live? Over the next few days I want to take you through the verses of Psalm 91. It’s there we find what God says about dwelling in safety.

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].” AMP Psalm 91:1

If we live in the “secret place” we will remain stable and fixed but where is the secret place? Where is that place that God’s shadow falls on us and covers us with protection? Let’s see what the Bible tells us about a secret place.

Our time in prayer is called secret. Our time of communicating with the Father one on one, is a secret time of sweet fellowship. The time we spend meditating on the Word of God can also be a “secret” place. When we are in this place of close communion, His shadow covers us. It’s refreshing, like being in the shadow of a tall tree on a warm day or being covered by the shadow of a tent or canopy when the hot sun is beating down.

“But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.” Matthew 6:6 AMP

When we are spending time in the Father’s presence in prayer and “hiding” His word in our hearts we dwell in the secret place of the Most High.

“I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!” AMP Psalm 91:2

All through the Psalms, David talks about the Lord being a strong tower, a hiding place, a refuge, a fortress, a place of protection. And here he is emphasizing that again. David definitely knew something about the Lord being a refuge and fortress of protection – after all, he faced a lion, a bear and a giant – he was the underdog more than once but God miraculously intervened. David relied on Him completely.

So answer this question, am I dwelling where the Lord is my deliverer, my refuge, my fortress? If not, go to the secret place of your prayer closet, renew your relationship and put God’s word in your heart. There is the place to live, under the shadow of the Almighty!

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Make Every Thought Count

I think I told you once that as a child I was plagued with bad dreams. Well, I had a bad dream last night however, now there is a difference. What once were dreams filled with monsters and boogie men have now turned to situations and circumstances that would seek to destroy my peace and rob me of the ones I love. They seem more real and at times harder to deal with BUT…the exciting part is that now I use God’s Word in my dreams to dispel any sense of fear and danger!

In fact, I’ve really started using these night time situations to gauge my stand in the Word. Jesus said to his disciples, “In this world you will have tribulation, but we of good cheer I have overcome the world”. My dreams let me see how I would react to a situation – do I run and hide and let fear overtake me or do I stand firm, established on God’s word and remain at peace?

In II Timothy 1:7 we have a promise that all of us can hold on too.

“The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.” II Timothy 1:7 ERV

King David said in Psalm 4:8
“When I go to bed, I sleep in peace, because, Lord, you keep me safe.” ERV

If God isn’t the one who sends fear but power and we are confident that the Lord keeps us safe then we can sleep in peace. So what to do with those bad dreams that creep in –

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” II Corinthians 3:3-5 NKJV

Use your dreams as spiritual training ground. Make them line up with God’s word! The spirit man is always awake and alert – although the physical man needs rest the spirit of man is ready to fight if we keep him energized with God’s Word.

Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Every thought – not just the waking thoughts but every thought. Let the Word of God bring you to victory – speak it out with your mouth, let it control your heart and your actions.

The Apostle Paul says that we are to stand in the full armor of God in Ephesians 6. Part of the armor is the helmet of salvation – the helmet protects the head, the head is where these disobedient thoughts come from. So the helmet of salvation protects our minds from thoughts that don’t line up with God’s word. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God – the way we get saved is by hearing God’s word, the way we have our mind renewed is by hearing God’s word.

“Accept God’s salvation as your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit—that sword is the teaching of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.” Ephesians 6:17-18 ERV

So whether you’re awake or asleep live in a constant state of prayer – prayer is communicating with the Father. Talk to Him about the things in your life and about things that are in the lives of those you love and then things that are going on around the world with people you don’t know.

Take every thought captive as you do fear will be gone and you will be filled with love, power and a sound mind.

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Cheerleading

Do you realize that this year is 2/3 complete? What goals are we accomplishing – what successes have we had so far? Do you know that our Father is gracious and loving and He has such big plans for us? Plans for our success and benefit? Oh my goodness – He is our biggest cheerleader! He is at everything soccer game, basketball game, swim meet, 4H and FFA event and on every shoot. He’s there cheering us on and He does it with a good attitude and doesn’t say bad words if the “ref” gets it wrong.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV

I used kids’ activities as my examples because each of us as a parent has been there to cheer our kids on and to tell them they are great but God does it in a much greater way.

He also there in every prayer we pray over our kids, He’s in on every discussion we have with our mate, He attends every business meeting, goes on every trip, is there for every sale and training session. He’s not a dead beat or absentee Father! He’s involved in our lives as much as we allow Him to be. He’s there!

He’s written everything down that we need to succeed. It’s not a suggestion book or an advice column but He has given us what we need to succeed in every area.

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9 NIV

Oh, He’s also given us a freewill. We can go out and try things on our own. We can fail, we can fall flat on our faces and He will be there to pick us up and set us on the right path once again. Don’t we do this with our kids? How our hearts break when they try to do it on their own and don’t listen to our instruction. We know what’s best and they ignore us – and we love them anyway. We reach out to hold them, to comfort them and then to give them instruction once again. Our Father is just like that – where do you think we learned it?

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

If this year hasn’t brought a life of victory, maybe it’s because we are trying to do things on our own without reading the instruction manual, or it could be that our enemy has devised a plan against us. If it’s the former, we need to get in the book and take it to heart – “lean not to our own understanding, in all our ways acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths”.

And if it’s the latter, get in the Word and take the authority that has been given us by the Father and put the enemy in his place. Don’t quit, don’t give up but go forward in the power and authority that the Father has made available to us.

“We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4 God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” II Peter 1:3-5 CEV

We have been given everything we need to live a life of victory – we have been given God’s great and precious promises! He’s cheering us on today! Listen for His voice and follow His words.

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94 Years!

Yesterday we had a wonderful time celebrating Mom’s birthday. Cake, ice cream, flowers, friends, presents, cards and lots of phone calls. What a great celebration of her 94 years!

This morning she’s sleeping in so we are leaving early and getting home ahead of the heat on the desert. Thankful for so many precious memories and asking the Lord for more to come.

Take joy in your day – make a memory and praise God for the blessings you have received.

“Let all who run to you for protection
always sing joyful songs. Provide shelter for those
who truly love you and let them rejoice.
12 Our Lord, you bless those who live right,
and you shield them with your kindness.” Psalm 5: 11-12

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Don’t Fret – Rest

Words of the Day: Fret Not, Trust, Delight, Commit, Rest, Cease & Inherit!!! Now just reading these words without explanation should put a spark in your step today – Psalm 37 is filled with God’s promise to you – Don’t limit Him today.

Did you realize you can limit God? In the Gospels it says that Jesus went about healing and doing good but in His own home town He could do no mighty work because of their unbelief. In Psalms it says that the children of Israel limited God. We… can be guilty of the same thing today! Make up your mind and establish your heart – don’t limit God! He is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient and all-loving. He desires to show Himself strong on your behalf.

“Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.” Psalm 37: 1-8 NKJV

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Quiet Mornings

Do you get tired of all the noise? The TV blaring, traffic on the way to work, the noise in the office, the negative conversations of people around us and then there are the noises in our own heads – all of these are trying to steal our peace.

I guess that’s why I love early mornings so much – no sounds except the coffee pot, the ceiling fan and my Father and I talking heart to heart.  I love it! Seems to put everything in perspective. I’ve been asked why I get up so… early – habit, years of habit. Now that I’m retired, I’m glad that rising early was a practice I started when I had small children, home schooling, a business to run and all the daily chores that so many of you do. Rising early gave me time to focus on what’s important, on the One who is most important and who can walk me through each part of my day.

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 KJV

I’m going to place this whole Psalm here. In the first few verses the Psalmist talks about all the noise – the mountains rumble, the oceans roar, the earth quakes and wars rage but we will not be afraid because God is our refuge and strength – a help in times of trouble!

Stop the noise today – pull aside and be still and know your God!

“God is our mighty fortress, always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 And so, we won’t be afraid! Let the earth tremble and the mountains tumble into the deepest sea.
3 Let the ocean roar and foam, and its raging waves shake the mountains.
4 A river and its streams bring joy to the city, which is the sacred home of God Most High.
5 God is in that city, and it won’t be shaken. He will help it at dawn.
6 Nations rage! Kingdoms fall! But at the voice of God the earth itself melts.
7 The Lord All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come! See the fearsome things the Lord has done on earth.9 God brings wars to an end all over the world. He breaks the arrows, shatters the spears, and burns the shields.[a]
10 Our God says, “Calm down, and learn that I am God! All nations on earth will honor me.”
11 The Lord All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46 CEV

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