Psalm 16:8
I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Applying God’s Word for Today: When life shakes you, the Lord is with you.
This life can throw you for a loop at any moment—work, family, health, legal, or something that comes out of the blue. It can feel as if your foundation is being sifted out from under you. When the norms of our lives are tossed like a ship on the sea, we have only one place to go.
As David wrote, “I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Faith always keeps God before us. He is our rock.
Our greatest challenge was sin. We could never overcome the punishment due to us. No matter how hard we try to be better, we still sin and carry the guilt and shame. Without our Lord, we stand accountable for all we have ever done. Our sins should shake us more than any other challenge we face in this life.
But we are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. He suffered our punishment and death in our place and credited us with His perfection. We have the peace and hope of eternal life. While we are on this earth, we are not alone. When we set the Lord before us, He is by our side. He does not promise a trouble-free life, but He is our strength in every trial we may face.
God is your Rock and Redeemer. In faith, share the love He has for you and for all people, so that others might also know He is by their side. May He be their strength.
Dear Lord, You are the almighty fortress that surrounds us. As Luther wrote, “though devils all the world should fill all eager to devour us, we tremble not; we fear no ill; they cannot overpower us… He’s by our side upon the plain with His good gifts and Spirit.” Guard and keep us this day from all trouble; strengthen our faith through Your Holy Spirit, that we may remain steadfast in You by faith in our Savior Jesus. Amen.
When the Lord is before you in faith and by your side in life, what do you need to worry about? He has got you; you are his own dear child, loved by him. You are redeemed by Jesus’ blood.