Psalm 5:8 “Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies—make straight your way before me.”
[Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, for you are my Shepherd, who faithfully, consistently, without fail leads me. You enlighen my path like the first gleam of dawn.
Praise you that you guide me in your righteousness, meaning that you never lead me to make a mistake or a wrong turn, never cause me to stumble or get lost. If I do go wrong, it’s my own decision to not follow you.
In your leadership you are sinless, your motives are pure, your purposes are positive, your plans are practical, your proposals are perfect, your provision is powerful. You are the One to be trusted.
And I do desperately need your leadership, because I am the opposite of these qualities: I am small, ignorant and sinful; I have mixed motives, have no control over the future and do not know what is best.
Plus, I am faced with powerful spiritual enemies who desire to bring me down. As it says in Psalm 62: 2,3, “How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence? Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place….”
The devil and his demons want to defeat God’s plans by destroying my spiritual life, my witness, my marriage, my family, my future. Alone I am helpless against them, lost before the battle begins.
But you, Lord Jesus, are the mighty Victor. You have conquered Satan and his forces, and I must flee to you for protection: “My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge” (Ps. 62:7).
You, Lord,have given me your spiritual armor. You equip me, empower me, employ me in your grace and might against the forces of evil, for in your armor and strength I can “resist the devil and he will flee” from me. (James 4).
Help me today to follow as you lead, Lord Jesus, to be strong in you and the power of your might, to keep on and use your full armor throughout each day. Help me to fight the right enemy with the right weapons so that I may join you in what you are doing, and that you may be honored in my life today.
