“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”      Psalm 28:7

It seems to be possible to live a life of faith and wholly trusts in God at all times. We tend to want the company and council of other human beings, and to seek advice from people we revere. People can be helpful, but why not go to the fount of all wisdom and blessing? However righteous we think we are, we still harbour dishonourable attitudes and thought processes. Every saint of God will struggle with sin right to the very end of their lives. Only as we enter the everlasting kingdom, will we be free from it.

However, we have the depths of God’s character recorded for us in the Word of God. We can see for ourselves what He requires from us, and how to live our lives for His glory and our personal good. If we are believers, we have the Holy Spirit of God, dwelling in us and He is our teacher and friend as we walk through life with Him.

This ought to make a difference. Other people should see it. People should recognise the life in us is not from ourselves, but from another life- the life of God. We look to God and seek to be like Him. This is no romantic notion, but a putting away of everything that would hold back our spiritual growth. We deny ourselves and put up death the selfish deeds we do every day. We give rather than take. We forgive rather than blame. We rejoice always in what Christ has done and is doing for us. This life cannot be lived without the Holy Spirit within.

As we turn to God, we see that He is our strength and shield against the enemy and our own sinfulness. We look to Him when other friends fail and find Him to be our trustworthy help. Somehow, as we enter into this relationship and realisation, we find joy, since God is the one person we can depend on. The presence of the Holy Spirit will be our constant companion, and will never leave us, nor ever let us down. Praise is our response, which fills our soul with gratefulness and joy. We love Him because He loved us first.

All sin is rejected and confessed and the life of God is our true state of being. No one can take us away from His kingdom, not even our selfish self.

“The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.”      Psalm 28:8-9