Week of June 15, 2025
The Lord Is Our Strength
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”
— Psalm 28:7
Psalm 28 is a prayer that begins in distress and ends in thanksgiving. It echoes with the voice of someone who has seen enough of life to know that sometimes God seems silent—but also someone who knows that silence is not abandonment.
Many have walked with the Lord through joys and heartaches, through health and illness, through the loss of loved ones and the quiet of lonely nights. This psalm meets us in that place. David begins by crying out, “To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me.” There is no pretending. He brings his fear, his need, his desperation—openly and honestly—to God.
And then comes a turn. A deep remembering. A confident declaration:
“The Lord is my strength and my shield.”
There is something powerful about this image at any age—but especially in the later seasons of life. Our physical strength may wane. Our memory might fade. Our days may feel quieter. But the Lord remains our strength, not just in theory, but in the practical, daily help He gives. He is our shield, defending us in ways seen and unseen, protecting our hearts, our peace, our hope.
David’s trust leads him into joy. “My heart leaps for joy.”
Joy is not just for the young. It is for the seasoned. It is for those who have waited long and still believe. It is for those who have seen God’s faithfulness in hindsight and choose to sing still.
Let us remember:
God hears our cries, even when He seems silent.
He is our strength when we feel weak.
He is our shield when the world feels uncertain.
And He is worthy of our song—even now, especially now.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We thank You for being our Rock when the ground beneath us feels unsteady. We thank You for being our strength when our bodies grow tired and our days feel long. Lord, You are our shield—protecting our hearts, guarding our peace, and reminding us that we are never alone.
Teach us to trust You more deeply. Help us to remember Your faithfulness across the years. Let our hearts still leap for joy, not because all is easy, but because You are near. May our lives, at every stage, be a song of praise to You.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.
