Praise be to you, my marvelous Lord and Shepherd and King. I awake in the night, and find you there, watching over me. I awake in the morning and find you again, waiting with a freshly prepared new day to share with me.
You are faithful in your love, passionate in your care, gracious in your provision and persistent in your protection. I am like a feeble vine clinging to you, my solid, unshakable Rock. As thoughts of evil threats come in the night, I can easily reject them by meditating on your presence and power as presented in Psalm 18.
You are the protector of the weak and the provider for the poor in spirit, so I can trust you, as I am both. Your Word firmly calms my churning thoughts, sweetly soothes my anxious soul, provides positive, encouraging perspective and safely shields me from Satan’s subtle subterfuge.
“I love you, O Lord, my strength” (Ps 18:1)—you have drawn me graciously into a rich and strong relationship with you, making yourself my Lord, pouring into my life your strength, sharing with me your power–even though you know I will at times miss use it, rebel, disobey and disbelieve, wounding your heart—but you continue on in your unquenchable mercy. You are so gracious! You are faithful in the face of our faithlessness. You are good in the face of our rebellion. You are constant in the face of our unbelief.
Your love is lavished on us, we who are your lazy and illogical sheep, because of your majestic and marvelous Character. You are Love itself, you are faithful and forgiving, gracious and good, positive and pure. We do not deserve your love and protection, but you are insistent on having a warm and rich relationship with us, pouring your time, grace, care, protection and guidance into our lives 24/7.
I praise you, O my Lord of lavishness, my Rock of refuge, my Fortress of faithfulness, my Defender of the defeated, my Shield of strength, my Tower of power, my Stronghold of safety. I call to you, who are worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies (Ps 18:3). I praise you for your protection, glorify you for your deliverance, exalt you for your unbelievably wonderful grace at work in me each day.
You are Life, you are Light and you are Love. You are my King, my God, my Savior, my Deliverer and my Protector. You are worthy of praise, worthy of exaltation, worthy of obedience. So, to you I bow down, to you I surrender, to you I give myself. I lay down before you all my desires, my possessions, my plans, my preferences. I give you my will and take yours in its place.
May you be glorified in me today, may my responses flow, not from my puny thoughts and understanding, but from your Heart, your Word, your Power. May your Spirit overflow from my life onto all those around me so they, too, may taste of your goodness, and thereby may your Name be lifted up before all I meet this day. Amen.
