Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16.

I love this psalm, Psalm 65, because it speaks of the blessings of our Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled…You who answer prayer, to you all people will come…v. 1, 2. How I love that – all people will come…a time yet to be. When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions…v. 3. Do we believe that promise? I hope so because Jesus came to show us the Father’s love and how deep His forgiveness is. His love is everlasting. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple. v. 4. He is bringing us near now when we ask for His help. In His love we are filled with good things! You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. v. 5-7. The roaring and turmoil of the nations – can you imagine all of that stilled? The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. v. 8. To me, that sounds like the new age when Jesus has returned. A psalm of great hope. And what will the earth be like then? You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing. v. 9-13. Can we appreciate the love of God? Enrich abundantly…streams filled to provide…drench its furrows…soften it with showers…bless its crops…crown the year with your bounty…carts overflow with abundance…grasslands overflow, hills clothed with gladness…meadows and valleys shout for joy and sing…remember the shield of faith? All is provided by our Creator God for our good.

I can’t help but think about what it must have been like when Jesus lay in the tomb. Mother Mary was without her son, our Lord. The disciples were bereft and hopeless in despair. What now? Take up the shield of faith given to us by our God and know He is here with us now. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. John 16:7-11. Jesus was always teaching the Kingdom of God. He asked us to repent and believe the good news. He knew they wouldn’t understand then when they were left alone. He knew Holy Spirit would be given to remind them of everything He had told them. He showed them God’s love. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven when we repent and turn to God with our whole hearts. And in turning to our God, we turn to our true Home in Him.