Daily Devotions
Monday, June 16, 2025
Psalm 3:1-3 – O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
The psalmist had many foes rising against him. Do we have foes rising against us? The devil and his evil legions certainly can be counted among our many foes. Satan rises against us, trying to lead us into sin, tempting us to turn away from the Lord and His Word and His ways. We may have earthly foes who seek to harm us in some way, perhaps through supposedly harmless gossip or lies. The psalmist has a specific group of foes in mind, people who taunt him and criticize his trust in God by saying, “There is no salvation for him in God.” The psalmist’s foes believed that even God could not save him from their fierce attacks.
We trust in God for our salvation, and we have enemies who may taunt us in the same way. They may or may not threaten physical harm, but these foes attempt to shame and ridicule us for our faith. Some of these unbelievers may simply state their own opinion that there is no God. Others may admit to the existence of God, but their imagined God has no interest in human history or salvation. There are others who mock our trust in Jesus, suggesting that heaven and hell are not real and that there is no need for salvation. Some people may deny the truth that Jesus is the Son of God who was born among us to be our Savior. These foes may be loud and mocking or simply disdainful and dismissive, but there are many of them.
The psalmist did not fear his enemies, and we do not need to fear our foes either. There is salvation for us in God. Our Lord Jesus had many foes who rose against Him. His enemies said there was no salvation for Him, taunting Him as hung on the cross: “He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now, if He desires Him” (Matthew 27:43a). Jesus was not delivered from the cross, but through His death and resurrection, He delivered us from sin and death! Through faith in Jesus, God is our shield, our glory and the One who lifts up our heads. He arms us with the shield of faith to “extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16b). This shield of faith, part of the whole armor of God, strengthens us against the false teachings and ridicule of the unbelieving world. We share the glory and victory of Jesus, who conquered death. God also lifts our heads. When it comes to our trust in Christ Jesus and all that God teaches us in His Word, we can hold up our heads with confidence. We are not ashamed of what we believe!
WE PRAY: Lord God, be my shield and my glory and lead me to stand firm in faith. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
- When your foes seem many, where do you first turn for help?
- How has God shown us that He is our shield and protector?
- How does prayer and reading the Bible help us to take up our shield of faith against “the flaming darts of the evil one”?
Today's Readings:
Proverbs 16-18Acts 2:22-47