November 1, 2023

Psalm 18, 2

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Dear Readers,

popular stamp motifs in the "old world" are castles and fortresses. Today I would like to show you two of these proud structures: the castle "Rocca di Urbisaglia" in Italy and "Le Fort Genois de Tabarka" in Tunisia. Both fortresses are tourist attractions today.

King David compares God with a rock, with a castle. With God he found salvation. David was in great danger. He had many enemies. His greatest opponent was Saul, who wanted to kill him. In Psalm 18, David sings a song of thanksgiving to God who saved him. He can hardly find the appropriate words to praise and thank God. God became like a rock for him on which his enemies could not follow. God was like a castle, like a fortress that protected him from his persecutors. God was powerful and strong. With him he was in safety, and he felt secure.

Where can I find refuge and protection when I am struggling with external or internal problems? Who can offer me protection and salvation? I am convinced that our shelter is prayer as well as the Christian community. Like David and other people before and after him, my desire in all life situations is, to find help from God. In prayer, I turn to the Almighty God. In prayer I turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer. I can feel safe in his presence.  

As a Christian, I am always integrated to be part of the Christian community. United in faith, there are fellow brothers and sisters by my side who can pray with me. As Christians, we are neither single fighters nor loners. God, the Father, has placed us into a large family, in His church. Together we pray for our fellow human beings who are in need. Together we praise God and worship him. In prayer we experience God's peace.

The apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the Ephesians 6:18: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

When Paul and Silas were arrested because of their faith in Jesus Christ and tortured in prison, they prayed at midnight and praised God. Defenseless and without any protection, they are now at the mercy of their tormentors. Yet, they do not stop praying. They praise God for His omnipotence and greatness. They find refuge in prayer. God is their protection. God is their savior. And God hears them and answers in his omnipotence. The walls of the prison start to shake. You should take time to study this story! It is written in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 16, 23 ff.

I wish you that you may experience God's peace in all the turmoil of our time. I wish you that God is like a strong fortress for you at every moment. With him you are safe. I wish you that you do not slacken in praying for your personal situation, but also for your fellow human beings and for our maltreated world. 

God, our Father in heaven, had helped David. He had helped Paul and Silas. He will also hear and answer our prayers. His will be done!

Thank you for listening to me. I cordially invite you to the next devotion with stamps on November 15. Until then, I wish you God's blessing and preservation in spirit, soul, and body through our Lord Jesus Christ.