Welcome again to these weekday devotionals! I’m back after a break that turned into storm recovery. We fared better than most in Western North Carolina and are grateful for that. Our neighborhood had several mudslides and we spent time digging those out to the best of our ability. We’ve been awed by the response to wanting to support this area. If you would like to contribute, there are two good options.

First, consider donating to the Jackson County Public Schools Foundation at https://www.jcpsef.org/donate?. This is the county where we live and Dana teaches. Contributions directly support students and their families in need after the storm.

Second, consider contributing to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund at https://pay.payitgov.com/ncdonations. 

Now, on to the devotion for today!

Today’s Reading: Psalm 124

1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—let Israel now say—
Psalm 124:1

The Lord is a warrior. 

When we think of God, this may not be the first or even near the top of the list of images we have of God. We tend to think of God as love, as provider, as counselor, but perhaps less often as warrior. This Psalm, however, paints a picture of God as warrior without reservation. 

This is a Psalm of Ascent, one of several in this portion of the book of Psalms. Such psalms were said or sung as the people processed up the Temple Mount and into the temple for worship. Perhaps your church has a processional to start services; this is of a similar notion. 

So here, we can imagine the people singing this song about God as their warrior, who delivered them from enemies, who saved them from utter ruin, who defended them when they were attacked. This probably referred to actual foreign armies attacking, but it also can be read metaphorically. 

For us today, we would think first of enemies as situations aligned against us, challenges in life, individual people who cause us trouble. This psalm speaks to those concerns, too. Like Exodus 15, where the people celebrate God’s deliverance from the pharaoh, God is a warrior, who provides victory for us! 

Think
Where do you need God to be victorious in your life? 

Pray
Ask God to be a warrior in the areas where you face challenges, enemies, fears. 

Do
Consider writing out this Psalm in a journal or on scratch paper. The act of writing scripture causes us to take it in differently, reinforcing its message. 

Think, Pray, Do. As we respond in faith to scripture, God moves in power through our minds, hearts, and bodies. We are the people of God. Thanks for reading today. Go in peace. Amen.

Think, Pray, Do devotionals by Ted Goshorn follow the suggested bible reading plan from his website and book, Prayer Changes Us. Find this Bible reading plan at tedgoshorn.org/biblereading. If you have found today’s devotion helpful, don’t forget to subscribe for daily emails at tedgoshorn.org and share with others that we may think, pray, and do faithfully.