“For the Lord God is our sovereign protector.
The Lord bestows favor and honor;
he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity.” –Psalm 84:11
Welcome to the first day of our newest study, friends!
As we seek to set our hearts on the Lord this coming season, Psalm 84 is a great place to start, don’t you think?
When I do my Bible study, sometimes I like to pick out some of the main words in our SOAP verses and dive deeper. Let’s dive in together:
Sovereign Protector
If you look up the word “sovereign” in the dictionary, you will find some of the following meanings:
– possessing supreme power
– absolute
– characteristic of or befitting a supreme ruler
– having supreme rank, power, or authority
The simplest way of summarizing what sovereignty means is to say that God is in control.
No matter what is happening to us or around us, what circumstances we find ourselves in, or what life throws at us, God is still in control.
In Genesis 50:20 Joseph said, “As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose…” Even at the beginning of the whole story, in the first book of the Bible, we see God’s sovereignty over Joseph’s life. He went through many trials and tribulations, but God used every single one of them for Joseph’s good and His own glory.
In our verse today, from Psalm 84, God claims the same for you. He is YOUR sovereign God. He’s got you. He is in control.
To protect means to keep safe from harm, to shield, to provide someone with shelter, and to defend.
God claims to be, and is, your sovereign protector. He loves you, cares for you deeply, and showers you with every good thing through the greatest Gift ever given: our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
You and I have nothing to fear. God is in control and He protects us.
Favor and Honor
Life is hard sometimes. Between a world pandemic, restrictions in travel, physical and mental health, bills and finances, work commitments, or family responsibilities, we are under a great deal of pressure.
God’s Word offers profound comfort. Not the kind of comfort this world offers, but “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). When we open His Word, even on the hardest, darkest days, we find hope, redemption, encouragement, and a challenge to live out our faith and share it with others.
Psalm 84:11 says God not only protects us and withholds nothing good from us, but He also bestows favor and honor on us as His children.
“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.” – Ephesians 1:3 (emphasis mine)
What an encouraging truth! No matter what you are facing today, take a moment to reflect on this. How great is our God!
Those Who Have Integrity
It may be the end of a beautiful verse, but don’t miss this. The last line is significant and carries an important meaning. To miss this would be catastrophic.
All the wonderful truths we have learned today from Psalm 84 are true for “those who have integrity.” Some other translations also say “those who walk in integrity.”
To have integrity means to be honest, to have strong values, to be whole and undivided.
I don’t know about you, but this is where I fall short. I get distracted, I am definitely divided, and my values may waver depending on how hard my circumstances seem to be.
Thankfully, God made a way for even the likes of me to have access to these wonderful truths: “He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him” – John 3:16-17.
None of us are perfect, and God know that.
This is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for you, so Jesus could stand in your place. If you have placed your faith in Jesus, when God looks at you He sees you as perfect because of Jesus.
Don’t let the standard of perfection hold you back. Let God, everything that He is and everything that He has done, fill you with awe, gratitude, and a deeper love for Him.
Let’s praise Him, the Giver who withholds nothing good from us, Goodness Himself.
Week 1 Challenge:
This week, create a list of the gifts God has given you. Keep in mind, some of these may not be what you expect. Praise Him for each one of these gifts.
Week 1 Reading Plan
Week 1 Memory Verse
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