Protect Me, O God

Psalm 16:1 – Protect me, O God; I trust in you for safety.

For God alone I wait in silence as I meditate on his Word. What is he going to say to me? What is he going to do in me?

To be silent is usually the hard part. Some of us are so easily distracted. We simply have to work at it. Out of the silence, however, words will appear and begin to do their work of restoring our souls and causing us to grow in our spirits.

When I first sat silent before Psalm 16, I was overwhelmed by the two words; "Protect me." Needs for protection spilled out. Police forces, armed forces, fire departments, judicial systems, hospitals, and medical institutions with elaborate health care programmes were all pointing to protection of some kind.

Then God appeared! "Protect me, O God." God quickly emerged as the towering protector of his people. In a post-meditation search I discovered right next door in Psalm 18: "The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress. God is my protection, and with him I am safe." Scripture is full of this aspect of God's activity. As this truth is confronted again and again it has a deep and lasting effect on us.

I trust in you for safety. A clear, simple statement of Christian faith is always a strong tonic. It tests us. It questions us. It encourages us. It comforts us. It gives us hope and strength. It creates faith. It leads us to pray. And that is, of course, the vital response.

Prayer: Great protector God, let this part of your endless concern for us begin to ease our fears and create the confidence that we are safe with you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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