I love the imagery in this verse .The Lord is my cup of blessing.
When I imagine a cup, I immediately think of my favorite coffee mug. It’s familiar, comforting, filled with something warm and soothing that makes me happy. It feels peaceful and safe.
Of course Jesus is SO much more than a mere coffee mug, but He is comforting, safe, and soothing. He delights in bringing joyful, happy, lovely things into our lives to help soothe and comfort us when life blindsides us, wounds us, and we walk in seasons that are overwhelming and so tiring.
Walking with Him and being in His presence is the true blessing. That He loves us enough to give us even more is an undeserved, yet beautiful kindness.
He guards all that is ours and draws a boundary around what He’s given us. Those we love are guarded, protected, and hemmed in. We can let go of the fear and exhaustion of trying to control and manipulate life and circumstances to keep our loved ones safe. He’s got them. They are safely tucked up into the folds of His robe. He knows what He’s doing. We can breathe out, let our shoulders settle, and allow the joys from His cup of blessing to pour over us – healing, delighting, and comforting.
I don’t know what you have on your plate today, but I do know that Jesus is right there with you.
He’s your stronghold, comforter, warrior, healer, provider, mender of broken hearts, and your best friend. He intimately knows every situation you are facing.
Just say His name. Ask for His presence and His help. He hears you. No need for long-winded, big-worded monologues. He’s with you and He’s already working things out, making things right, and putting people and things in their proper place.
If you can’t see it or feel it right now, that’s okay. I pray that hope and trust wrap you up tightly, speaking the exact words you need directly to your heart.
Even in the vastness of the heavens, the intricate placement of each galaxy, the planets, and stars God sees you. You are never lost to Him in the enormity of creation. Your name is written on the palm of His hand – cherished, loved, and perfectly known. Every sigh, every tear, every mask you wear, and every thought you have is completely and fully known.
It amazes me. It always does. Such love and depth of being seen is scary, but so comforting at the same time. So hopeful.
Nothing separates you from Him. Be at peace. He is near and loves you with a fierceness that is beyond what the human mind can conceive. Safety. Rest.
When I envision the Lord being my shield, it transforms how I imagine myself walking through this day of unknowns.
I think we are often completely unaware of the pitfalls, near misses, and battles going on around us that we are protected from daily. The Lord shields us from so much.
The fender bender that ruins our day, makes us late, and costs us money…did the Lord shield us from something far worse?
The random encounter with an unsavory stranger that left us shaken…did the Lord block the evil intentions that could have gone a different and terrible way?
The beautiful and precious time spent with Him that was uninterrupted…did He shield us from distractions so we could be filled up, loved on, and encounter Him?
This verse really spoke to me. It’s been a hard around here lately. We’re tired and rough around the edges. I wonder what else Jesus has shielded us from?
I am so grateful that the Lord of Heaven, Prince of Peace, and King of Kings sees me and chooses to shield me and lift my head when the harder days come. It’s a beautiful and comforting thing to be seen and deeply loved by Jesus. He loves you, too. Peace be with you.
“For forty years I led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes and sandals did not wear out.” Deuteronomy 29:5 NLT
Something about this tugged at my spirit as I read it.
The Lord led the Israelites for forty years through unforgiving desolate places. How exhausting, how defeating, how infuriating it must have felt a lot of the time as they battled sand, wild animals, and exhaustion on every level. They didn’t want to be in this fierce and untamed wilderness. It isn’t what they thought it would be when the Lord said He was rescuing them.
Yet…the goodness of God. For forty years He kept their shoes and clothing from wearing out. An absolute necessity for the areas they were traveling through to have good clothing to protect their skin and solid shoes to protect their feet as they walked the road He laid out for them.
He had to remind them of the ways He had protected them and looked out for their basic well-being.
Reading this verse gave me hope. Hope that this season I’m in has divine purpose. That I’m not forgotten in an untamed, desolate wilderness. I’m walking through what He knows I need to walk through whether or not I see the merit or understand the big picture of what this season will produce once I’m on the other side. There is another side. He is going with me, He’s before me, and surrounding me on all sides. He’s there for you in this way, too.
Hope and gratitude bubble up in my heart as I see that my shoes and clothes haven’t worn out yet. My feet can still move me forward, even at a limp sometimes, on this path that I often don’t like or want to be walking.
Looking beyond the frustrations, fear, and disappointments, I know without a doubt that He has shielded and protected me from far worse things. I’ve gotten glimpses of those things, people, and situations and I am so grateful He loves me enough to block, rebuke, and protect me from them. He filters every single thing that touches me or those I love through His scarred hands.
Wherever we are on our life journey, perhaps there’s room for some hope for what’s to come, and gratitude that our provision hasn’t run out, even when it doesn’t look like what we think it should. He is providing for us. Maybe we can look at where we are today with a different lens and find glimpses of His goodness, His kindness, and provision in unexpected places. Not to minimize or dismiss the hard things, but to bring hope, peace, and the knowledge of how deeply we are loved into the mix.
On a summer night when cricket symphonies lull and soothe as the moon sails high and pinprick stars wink…He whispers in dark, nocturnal rustlings with deep, supernatural words of mystery.
When the wind shushes and sighs through the Redwood canopy as you hike and soak in the forest…He whispers timeless songs of creation.
Opening your eyes as a new day starts, before the mad rush of living takes over and you savor your morning coffee…He whispers an invitation, “Come and talk with me.”
As you putter in the garden, trimming and admiring the flowers…He whispers promises of new life and a season of rebirth in the rich scent of turned earth.
When the day is done and your tired body falls into those in-between moments before you drift off to sleep…He whispers words of rest and speaks to you in your dreams.
Can you hear Him?
When your heart feels heavy, you retreat to the hidden bench under the willow branches that skim over the pond…His whispers of healing and hope perfume the air around you.
When the cruel, hurtful words sting your heart, and tears spill over and down your cheeks…He whispers songs of love and belonging. He captures each tear. You are His.
As waves crash along the lonely beach and you fling your deepest needs and fears to the relentless tides…His whispers become a divine exchange, taking your hurt and giving you Himself. He is enough.
Taking that first frightening, tentative step of faith into something new and unknown…He whispers courage and strength into your mind, spirit, and body. He is with you. Worry must flee.
With pain so deep and raw that you have no words or tears left…His whispers become intercession in heavenly languages, traveling straight to the Holy of Holies.
Can you hear Him?
When loved ones are far away and your mind is full of frightening thoughts and the chaos of the unknown…He whispers safety and protection. Their names are written on the palm of His hands. He speaks peace, and fear bows.
When the world is filled with injustice, cruelty, and division…He whispers compassion and authority—He is King. There are none before Him. Alpha and Omega.
When self-reliance has taken its toll and you finally unclench your fists and cry to Him in exhaustion…He whispers gentle songs of rest and comfort. All is well, He’s got this.
And…
On the lighter days, when the hurry is hushed and you sit under the apple tree, talking to Him, thanking Him, and whispering that you love Him, an incense of thankfulness, praise, and love rises and dances its way to His throne. As the sacred aroma swirls and fans around Him, He sings, shouts, and prophesies over you with blessings, peace, and joy. Can you hear Him?
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.”
Quiet your mind a moment. Imagine how it feels to rest between the Lord’s shoulders. I feel joy, delight, peace, and so much safety wrapping me up tightly in warmth and the scent of Heaven. It’s beautiful.
We are shielded all day long. We can rest, we can let go, and we can be ourselves because He wants us that way – just how He created us.
I can think of no better, safer, more joyful, and freeing place to be then in God’s presence – resting between the shoulders of the King of Heaven’s Armies.
As you navigate all that today holds in store, I pray that you pull up this image of being tucked in and held by the One who’s footstool is the heavens. Let that wash over you and bathe you in peace and confidence. He’s got you and yours. You are so loved. Peace be with you.
Life is heavy, frightening, uncertain, and smothering right now. Shelter your soul, mind, and body under the all-powerful wings of Jesus. He is so faithful and kind. He is the Mighty Warrior. He is the only Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent One. You are safe in the shelter of His presence and so are the ones you hold dear. He’s got them and He’s got you. He is the Prince of Peace and Emmanuel, God with us, is His name.
Extravagant Hope 