The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith
Metaphors of God’s Strength From the Psalms
Romans 15:13 reads “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
When we talk about God as Almighty and the Holy Spirit as having power, as in this verse, we don’t always think in terms of how that affects us. God being the God of hope that He is, fills us with “all joy and peace in believing”. But what does that look like in practical terms, in boots-on-the-ground everyday life?
Throughout Scripture there are metaphors of God’s strength, exercised on our behalf, that reflect protection and places of refuge and shelter. Here is a listing of some that are found in the Psalms:
|
Reference |
Metaphor |
| Psalm 38:22, 62:2 | My Salvation |
| Psalm 42:9, 62:2 | My Rock |
| Psalm 94:22 | Rock of Refuge |
| Psalm 95:1 | Rock of my Salvation |
| Psalm 46:1, 7 | Our Refuge/Strength/a very present help in trouble. |
| Psalm 59:16 | My Refuge |
| Psalm 71:7, 91:9-10 | Strong Refuge |
| Psalm 46:7, 59:16, 62:2, 94:22 | My/Our Defense |
| Psalm 48:14 | Our Guide even unto death |
| Psalm 71:7 | My Strong Habitation, whereunto I may continually resort/my Rock/my Fortress. |
| Psalm 61:3 | Shelter/Strong Tower |
| Psalm 19:14 (78:35) | My Strength/Redeemer |
| Psalm 84:9, 11 | Our Shield/a Sun and Shield |
| Psalm 115:9-11 | He is their Help and their Shield. |
| Psalm 94:17 | My Help |
| Psalm 95:6 | Our Maker (with a vested interest in us) |
| Psalm 118:14 | My Strength/Song/Salvation. |
| Psalm 144:1-2 | My Strength/My Goodness/My Fortress/My High Tower/My Deliverer/My Shield |
He waits with open arms to receive, comfort, and defend us in our daily spiritual warfare. You trusted Him for salvation through Jesus Christ; trust Him for this, too. He has promised.
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Thank you for reading my Devotional, especially if you follow it every week. I will be placing this message at the end of my devotional for another week so if you have already responded to it, you don’t need to do so again.
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Barbara Longway
March 7, 2020 at 12:08 amSusan, I read your devotional every Friday here and on Facebook and am blessed by it. Thank you for doing this. Love you, Barbara
Susan Merritt, PhD
March 13, 2020 at 12:08 amThanks for responding, Barbara. It is a true blessing to me, as well, to be able to write about God’s Word in this way. I know you have shared the devotionals numerous times and I appreciate that as well. Love you too, Barb.