Every morning, very early, I sit in the same seat. I turn on the same light. I pick up my bible and my journal. The same bible and the same journal I use every morning. I read and write and think about what God has said to me in His word. And I often reflect on some of what I would like to say to God about what God has said to me. At the top of every day’s entry in my journal, I copy a verse of scripture that has struck my thought. And this morning, I copied this verse:

“You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.” That’s the New English Translation of the 114th verse ofthe longest chapter in the bible, the 119th Psalm.

As I sat contemplating the verse I had copied into my journal, I began to wonder, a bit. If I truly made God my refuge every day, how would my life be different? If I declared to God that he is my shield, and that his word is my source of hope, there’d be no room for fear, or discouragement, or doubt in my life.

I sat for the better part of an hour, this morning, just thinking and wondering about how I’m doing at making God my refuge and my shield. And then I wrote down some of my wondering:

O Lord,

I wonder about myself.

​I do wonder, if you are truly my ‘refuge and shield’ that I read about this morning?

Do I run to you each day,

​As if you are the only one who knows my path?

You, who never ‘discovers?’

You are not like me, Lord.

​You never discover. You never learn something new.

​​You already know all that can be known. You are the God Who Knows.

Perfect omniscience in your very nature.

​You never wonder; you never imagine things in your mind’s eye.

You see … you know … perfectly, and without any flaw.

You’ve never asked yourself, “I wonder what it would be like …?” about anything.

​For example, you simply said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.

​​You didn’t try. You never try. 

That may be one of the things I am most grateful for.

​Lord, you’ve never tried.

You, who are the Author and finisher of my faith;

​The First and Last and Living Word.

You are The God Who Never Tries.

In my foolishness, it seems as if I never stop trying.

​I need your help, Lord. My striving and trying can be such a trying way to live life.

Will you help me declare rest, today, Lord.

​Will you help me say it as if I mean it.

​​Help me be more like you, and find that restful place in you.

Help me not merely try to make you my refuge and shield.

​May it be so.

​​​You who are “The God Who Never Tries.”

“You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.”

​Help me live my life that way … today.