“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” Psalm 28:7 ESV

A few years ago I started feeling unsafe at work – bomb threats and Covid will do that to a person. I was reading through Psalms at the time, and I kept running across three words/phrases: Strength, Fortress, Steadfast Love

Strength

Psalm 28:8 ESV: “The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.” Psalms includes 34 verses describing God as our strength. I knew I didn’t have any strength left. One morning my students found me sitting on the floor outside my classroom because I suddenly couldn’t stand up anymore as I greeted them. But God gave me the strength to stand up and be strong for my students. Song: “In the Name of the Lord”

Fortress

Psalm 18:2 ESV: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
The word fortress is mentioned 19 times in Psalms (ESV). When I felt surrounded, I imagined myself in an impenetrable stone fortress, and I was comforted by God’s promised protection. Song: “Surrounded”

Steadfast Love

Psalm 94:18 ESV: “When I thought, ‘My foot slips,’ your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.”
The phrase steadfast love is mentioned 123 times in Psalms (ESV). 123 times! “Steadfast” means unwavering (Oxford Language Dictionary), and I felt God’s overwhelming, steadfast love through His protection. Song: “Reckless Love”

These words became a mantra for me: God is my strength, my fortress, and my steadfast love.

And I’m so thankful.

What is your mantra for who God is in your life?

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” Psalm 28:7 ESV