God’s Protection and Care – Page 2

Maundy Thursday | “The Passover Lamb Prepared”

Exodus 12:1-14 —

¹The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, ²“This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. ³Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. ⁴And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. ⁵Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, ⁶and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
⁷“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. ⁸They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. ⁹Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. ¹⁰And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. ¹¹In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. ¹²For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. ¹³The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
¹⁴“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

The Original Context

Exodus 12 tells the story of the first Passover – the night when God delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. Each household was to sacrifice a lamb without blemish and spread its blood on their doorposts. When the Lord passed through Egypt to strike down the firstborn, He would “pass over” the homes marked by the blood. It was a night of both judgment and mercy, death and deliverance.

This event became central to Israel’s identity. Every year after that night in Egypt, they celebrated Passover to remember how God saved them by the blood of a lamb. The Passover meal – the lamb, the unleavened bread, and the bitter herbs – became symbols of God’s redemption and a foreshadowing of something greater to come.

Fulfillment in Jesus

The night before His crucifixion, Jesus gathered His disciples to celebrate the Passover one final time (Luke 22:15). But He transformed the meal. Instead of focusing on the lamb on the table, Jesus pointed to Himself: “This is my body…. This is my blood…poured out for many” (Mark 14:22-24).

Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 5:7: “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” Jesus is the true Lamb without blemish, slain for our deliverance. His blood does not merely cover a door – it cleanses our hearts. His death does not rescue us from one night of judgment but an eternal separation from God.

And just as God instructed His people to remember the Passover forever, Jesus commanded us to remember His sacrifice through the Lord’s Supper until He returns.

Hope for Today

Maundy Thursday reminds us that Jesus went to the cross with full knowledge and purpose. He chose to be the Lamb. He prepared the table. He washed the feet of His disciples (and betrayer). He gave His body and blood to establish a new covenant of grace.

As we remember the Last Supper, let us not rush past it. Jesus wanted us to remember that night – to remember His love, His blood, His sacrifice.

So today, receive the Lamb. Rest in His finished work on the cross. And give thanks that the wrath of God due our sin has passed over us because the blood of Jesus has covered us. This is truly the Lord’s Passover.

“Preaching Truth to Yourself When Your Soul is Downcast” from Psalms 42 & 43 (#dailyPSALMSchallenge)

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.
Psalm 42:5-6a, 11; 43:5

Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 are deeply connected, forming a single lament that expresses the struggle of a soul longing for God in the midst of despair.

Psalm 42 opens with vivid imagery: “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God” (v. 42:1). There is a beautiful hymn based on this image, but for those who are crying out to the Lord, it is often anything but beautiful. Picture a deer being hunted, running from a hunter or predator, panting and out of breath and seeking a cool stream to provide sustenance and relief. Such is the plight of the sons of Korah in these psalms. They are spiritually thirsty, longing for the presence of the living God (v. 42:2), yet instead of refreshment, they find themselves overwhelmed by sorrow, being fed by tears (v. 42:3) and haunted by the taunts of people mocking their faith by asking “Where is your God?” (vv. 42:3, 10)

This spiritual turmoil is compounded by distance from the place of worship or from the joy accompanying better times of leading God’s people in His praise and worship (v. 42:4). They remember what it was to joyously lead God’s people in worship at His tabernacle but now feel cut off and alone. The lament deepens as they describe being overwhelmed by waves of suffering, described a waves of the sea crashing over them (v. 42:7). Yet, even in their distress, they cling to this foundational truth: “By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me” (v. 42:8).

Psalm 43 continues their cry for deliverance, shifting from lament to pray to God for vindication. They plead for God to “send out [His] light and…truth” to lead them back to worship at His altar, where they may rejoice in Him again (vv. 43:3-4). But there is beautiful solace to be found in their refrain found in vv. 42:5, 11 and 43:5 that not only asks their own souls “why” they are “cast down” and “in turmoil” within themselves but points to the refreshment they know their panting souls will receive by saying, “Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.”

This refrain teaches us the discipline of preaching the truth to ourselves in the face of despair. Instead of passively listening to their own troubled thoughts, they preach to their own souls, reminding themselves of who God is and where their hope must rest. This does not change their circumstances but points them to the God who provides hope in the midst of circumstances. He is faithful. He provides rest. He provides solace. He IS their hope.

Seeing Jesus in Psalms 42 & 43

These psalms find their fulfillment in Jesus, who fully experienced the anguish of a downcast soul. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus echoed the sons of Korah when He said, “My soul is very sorrowful, even unto death” (Matthew 26:38). On the cross, He endured the mockery of His enemies jsut as they did (vv. 42:3, 10; Matthew 27:39-43). Yet, even in His suffering, Jesus fully entrusted Himself to His Father’s will and endured the full weight of God’s wrath against sin – our sin – that we might never be truly abandoned.

The sons of Korah longed for God’s presence, and through Jesus, that longing is ultimately fulfilled. Jesus Himself is the “light and truth” that leads us to God (v. 43:3; John 8:12, 14:6). He is Emmanuel, God with us, who will never leave nor forsake His people. And because of His resurrection and promised return, we can confidently hope in God, knowing that no matter our circumstances we too will “again praise Him” (v. 43:5).

Reflection

Can you identify with the sorrow and despair found in Psalms 42 and 43? If so, I hope you see the promise of hope and relief found in Jesus. He bore our shame and sin and adopts us into His family.

There is coming a day when the tears that flow ever so easily here in this fallen world will be wiped away for the last time by His nail-scarred hand when He comes to dwell with His people – where death will be nothing more than a fading memory – where there shall be no more “mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

In the meantime between that promise and its fulfillment, there is a lot of despair and downcast souls and pain and sorrow. There is a lot of panting for streams of relief. But, oh, there is so much hope to be found. May we not be left in the question of why our souls are downcast but let us preach the beautiful truth of the psalmists refrain: “Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God”!

Here’s a song inspired by Psalm 42:

The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.

Won’t you take the challenge?

“The Way of the Wicked v. the Established Steps of the Righteous” from Psalm 37 (#dailyPSALMSchallenge)

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.
Psalm 37:23-24

Psalm 37 is David’s wisdom-filed encouragement to God’s people who struggle when they see the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer. He urges believers to trust in God’s justice, wait on His timing, and pursue faithfulness rather than being envious or anxious about worldly success.

He begins with a direct command to “fret not yourself because of evildoers” (v. 1). When we see those who reject God thriving, it’s tempting to envy them or question God’s justice, but David reminds us that whatever success the wicked has is temporary as the wicked will “soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb” (v. 2). In contrast, those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land (vv. 9, 11, 29).

Instead of worrying, believers are called to delight in the Lord (v. 4), trust in Him to do good (v. 3), and commit their ways to Him (v. 5). These are active faith responses that shape our desires and keep us aligned with God’s will. He never promised instant gratification, but He assures us that righteousness will be vindicated in His time (v. 6).

The second half of Psalm 37 emphasizes God’s care for His people: He upholds them (vv. 17, 24), He provides for them (vv. 19, 25-26), and He preserves them forever (v. 28). This shows us that God, in His justice, will ultimately remove the wicked and establish the righteous in their eternal inheritance with Him.

David’s final exhortation (a Bible word that is a mix of encouragement and warning) is for believers to wait for the Lord and keep His way (v. 34). Justice will come in His timing. The wicked may seem to be deeply rooted in the moment (v. 35), but in the end the wicked will pass away and be “no more” (v. 36). The future is reserved for those who trust in the Lord.

Seeing Jesus in Psalm 37

Jesus echoes this psalm in His Sermon on the Mount when He said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

Jesus Himself was the perfect example of one who trusted His Father rather than fighting for (or against) worldly power. Though He suffered, God exalted Him (Philippians 2:6-11).

And through Jesus believers will receive an eternal inheritance – a greater “land” than David imagined (1 Peter 1:3-4).

Reflection

It is easy to be tempted to envy those who reject God because they seem to prosper, but Psalm 37 gives us a better, more eternal perspective. We need to ask ourselves a few questions to test whether our perspective is formed from earthly things or from the Word.

Do you truly delight in the Lord, or do your desires focus on temporary things?

What would it look like for you to trust, commit to, and wait on the Lord?

God is faithful. Learn to trust Him and rest in the beautiful truth that He has established your steps!

“Sin Whispers, But God’s Love Shouts!” from Psalm 36 (#dailyPSALMSchallenge)

How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
Psalm 36:7

Psalm 36 presents a striking contrast between the wickedness of sinful man and the steadfast love of God. David opens the psalm with a sobering description of human sinfulness (which describes every one of us at some point). The wicked are deceived by their own arrogance (v. 2). Their words bring trouble and deceit (v.3). And they “do not reject evil” (v. 4).

What is at the root of all of this sin? David clarified that back in v. 1: “There is no fear of God before [the wicked’s] eyes”. Sin speaks to the hearts of the wicked because they do not fear the Lord and leads them further and further into wickedness and darkness.

But, in contrast to the darkness, the love of God shines brilliantly! David exalts God’s steadfast love, faithfulness, righteousness, and justice (vv. 5-6). These attributes of God are described in magnificently limitless terms in v. 5: “ Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds.” God’s righteousness is described as firm as mountain, and His judgments as deep as the oceans (v. 6).

This steadfast love is at the root of His covenant with His people, leading Him to offer abundant blessings to those who trust in Him. Those who trust in Him “feast on the abundance of [His] house” and drink deeply from “the river of [His] delights” (v. 8). This is a picture of deep satisfaction found only in relationship and refuge in the Lord. He Himself is the “fountain of life” (v. 9), the source of all true joy, meaning, and fulfillment.

David closes Psalm 36 with a prayer for God’s continued love and protection for His people (vv. 10-12). He asks that pride and wickedness – that he understood was a danger to his own sinsick heart – would not overtake him and that God’s enemies would ultimately fall.

This leaves all reading Psalm 36 with a clear choice: will we walk in the way of the wicked, or will we seek shelter under the wings of a loving God?

Seeing Jesus in Psalm 36

Jesus is not only the fulfillment of Psalm 36 but the perfect embodiment and demonstration of God’s steadfast love. The apostle John showed this clearly in 1 John 4:9-10 – that in Jesus the love of God is illustrated, illuminated, and literally embodied:

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation of our sins.”

Not only does Jesus encapsulate the love of God, but He is the fullest expression of the way God’s love was shown throughout Psalm 36. He is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), the Fountain of Living Water (John 7:37-38), and the Light of the World (John 8:12). It is in Jesus alone that we experience the inexhaustible and ever-present satisfaction that David spoke of in his deepest longings.

Refection

What David prayed for, we can know fully in Jesus. The world offers temporary pleasures, but Jesus not only embodies David’s longings but offers His fulfillment of them to all who trust in Him. That’s good news!

As you meditate on the beauty of God’s love in Christ, consider the following questions:

Do you recognize the voice of sin whispering in your own heart? How can you guard against it?
What does it mean to take refuge in God’s steadfast love? Where are you seeking satisfaction apart from Him?

The world offers fleeting joys, but true and lasting joy is found in His presence – presence that we can experience through His Spirit within us.

Run to Him.

Take refuge under His wings.

Rest in the promise of His never-stopping, never-failing, never-giving-up steadfast love.

Here’s a song inspired by Psalm 36:

Won’t you take the challenge?

“Entrusting Your Battle to the LORD” from Psalm 35 (#dailyPSALMSchallenge)

Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of His servant!”
Psalm 35:27

Psalm 35 is a cry for justice and protection. David pleads with God to rise up as his defender against people who were seeking to destroy him. He begins with a desperate call on the Lord to “contend…with those who contend with [him]” and to “fight against those who fight against [him]” (v. 1). He is asking God to take up weapons of war on his behalf.

At the heart of the psalm is the reality of unjust and undeserved suffering. David is being pursued, falsely accused, and mistreated. His enemies are deceitful and malicious (v. 11), repaying the kindness he has shown them with hatred (v. 12). When they mourned, David mourned with them (v. 14), yet they now rejoice at his downfall (v. 15). This deeply distresses David, prompting him to call out and ask, “How long, O LORD, will You look on?” (v. 17). This is a question that everyone familiar with anguish and feelings of being abandoned in suffering has felt – and likely asked themselves.

Yet, Psalm 35 is not only pleading with God for justice – it is David declaring faith in God’s righteousness, knowing that God has not abandoned or forsaken him. David knows that God will be glorified “according to [His] righteousness” when He vindicates him (v. 24). This faith means that David does not have to take these matters into his own hands but entrusts his cause to the Lord, knowing that His justice and righteousness will prevail and leading David to end the psalm with joyful praise: “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of His servant!” (v. 27). Neither his enemies nor his suffering will have the final word because God’s justice and goodness will triumph.

Seeing Jesus in Psalm 35

Jesus directly quoted Psalm 35:19 in John 15:25: “They hated me without a cause.” Like David, Jesus knew what it was to be falsely accused, mistreated, and hated – except for Jesus it wasn’t merely those He had mourned with but those He came to save.

David sought vindication and protection, but Jesus is greater than David. He prayed that those who were responsible for arresting, mocking, torturing, and even crucifying Him would be forgiven rather than condemned or taken out by God’s righteous wrath (Luke 23:34). Furthermore, Jesus bore the full weight of injustice on the cross so that all who trust in Him – including those who were formerly His enemies (Romans 5:10) – might be saved through Him. And yet, as David prayed, Jesus will return as the righteous Judge who will one day set all things – all injustice and wrongdoing – right (Revelation 19:11-16).

Reflection

If you are reading this and feel as David did in the beginning of Psalm 35 – that God might not see his trials and suffering, know this: God sees your pain. He fights for His people. And His righteousness will win out.

He exhibits this clearly in His care for His people throughout the ages. You can trust Him. You can take refuge in Him. When you put your trust in Him, you can truly cry out as David did: “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of His servant!”

Won’t you take the challenge?

“Taste and See God’s Goodness for Yourself” from Psalm 34 (#dailyPSALMSchallenge)

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
Psalm 34:8

Psalm 34 is an invitation for joyful trust in the Lord. This psalm was written by David after God delivered him from the king of Gath in 1 Samuel 21:10-15 when he, as the inscription says “changed his behavior”, pretended to be out of his mind (1 Samuel 21:13). These events obviously had a profound impact on David’s life as the result is this overflow of his gratitude and praise.

David begins with a commitment to continual worship: “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (v. 1). He doesn’t stop at his own personal prayer, though; he calls others to join him and “magnify the Lord” with him and “exalt” the name of the Lord “together” (v. 3). Worship is meant to be shared communally, and our joy in God is deepened when we proclaim His goodness with others who have experienced it firsthand.

David shares his testimony from that event: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears” (v. 4). God’s faithfulness is not theoretical for him but proven by his experience with God. It is also proven in David’s life as he says that those who trust the Lord “are radiant” (v. 5), reflecting His light and joy even in the midst of difficult circumstances.

One of the most well-known verses comes next in this psalm (v. 8): “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!” This is more than an intellectual acknowledgment of God’s goodness but a call to come and experience it firsthand. Just as tasting food gives direct knowledge of its flavor, trusting the Lord allows us to personally experience His faithfulness and provision.

Speaking of firsthand experience, David confidently assures us that those who fear the Lord will lack nothing they truly need (vv. 9-10). Fear of the Lord is a common theme in Scripture and means having a reverence for Him, obeying Him, and trusting in His wisdom and care over our own. God is trustworthy. He watches over His people and hears their cries (v. 15), being “near to the brokenhearted” and saving “the crushed in spirit” (v. 18). Even and especially in affliction, God is present and faithful in “the afflictions of the righteous” and “delivers” them “out of them all” (v. 19).

Psalm 34 concludes with the reminder that God is His people’s redeemer (v. 22). None – not a single one – of “those who take refuge in Him will be condemned (v. 22). That’s good news for those who take refuge in Him.

Seeing Jesus in Psalm 34

Psalm 34 finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, the One who fully tasted human suffering, yet remained without sin (Hebrews 4:15). John applies v. 20 (“He keeps all His bones; not one of them is broken”) to Jesus on the cross, showing Him as the righteous One who suffered on our behalf.

Furthermore, part of tasting and seeing that the Lord is good for those who are saved is knowing that no one who takes refuge in Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, will face condemnation (Romans 8:1). That’s good news!

Reflection

Have you personally tasted and seen the goodness of God in your life?

How have you been delivered from trials and suffering by the mighty hand of God?

Let Psalm 34 be an encouragement for you to experience the goodness of God firsthand. Take refuge in Him. Trust Him. Find comfort in His goodness and care.

Won’t you take the challenge?

“Whom Shall I Fear If the Lord is My Stronghold?” from Psalm 27 (#dailyPSALMSchallenge)

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

Psalm 27 reflects confident trust in the Lord, even in the face of fear, opposition, and uncertainty. David declares that God is his light, salvation, and stronghold, assuring him ultimate safety and peace. This psalm is a beautiful and powerful tapestry of praise, prayer, and hope.

David begins by proclaiming unshakable confidence in God (vv. 1-3). He asks twice, “whom shall I fear?” (v. 1). He describes God as his light and salvation but also as his stronghold – a fortress in whom he can find refuge when his enemies rise up against him. He trusts God to protect him as well as causing his enemies to stumble and fall.

David’s heart’s desire is revealed in v. 4: “One thing I have asked of the Lord…that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” He longs for uninterrupted communion with God – eternally dwelling with him rather than seeking temporary shelter. For him, being in God’s presence – gazing upon His beauty and inquiring of His temple – is the ultimate source of joy and security.

David rejoices in the protective care of God who hides him in His shelter and also lifts him high upon a rock (vv. 5-6). David’s response to God’s care is to praise Him with shouts of joy and songs.

In vv. 7-12, the psalm takes an intimate turn as David cries out to God for continued grace and deliverance. He pleads with Him not to hide His face or abandon Him, expressing a deep dependence on God as his help and salvation. Even when forsaken by all others, David has confidence that “The Lord will take [him] in” (v. 10).

Psalm 27 concludes with a bold statement and encouragement to wait on the Lord: “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!” (v. 13). The way the KJV translates v. 13 is helpful: “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”, meaning that David knew that he would have despaired and been hopeless without his belief and faith in God, faith that knew and trusted that he would see God’s goodness in the world and not as something he would have to wait on in heaven. Because of that he could encourage people to “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage” (v. 14).

Seeing Jesus in Psalm 27

Psalm 27 points to Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of David’s longing for light, salvation, and communion with God. Jesus declared that He was “the Light of the World” (John 8:12). He is the true light who dispels the darkness of sin and death, bringing salvation to all who believe in Him. Jesus is also our stronghold, the One who secures our place in the presence of God. Through His death and resurrection, He opened the way to His heavenly sanctuary, where we can dwell with God forever (Hebrews 10:19-22).

David’s desire to “dwell in the house of the Lord” (v. 4) finds its fulfillment in Jesus, who enables believers to experience God’s presence through His Holy Spirit. In eternity, we will gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and worship Him face-to-face (Revelation 22:4).

When David cries, “My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in” (v. 10), we are reminded of Jesus’s promise to never leave or forsake His people (Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5). He is the faithful Savior who sustains us through every trial and assures us of eternal life in His presence.

Reflection

Psalm 27 invites us to trust God in every circumstance, finding confidence, joy, and peace in His presence. Consider the following questions to help you reflect on what you’ve read.

How can you remind yourself of God’s light and salvation in times of fear and certainty?

Do you, like David, have a desire to dwell in the presence of God? What steps can you take to cultivate this desire?

In what ways has God demonstrated His faithfulness to you, even when others have let you down?

Take time today to praise God for being your light and salvation. Ask Him to increase your confidence in His care and help you wait patiently for His perfect will to unfold. Let the truth of this psalm strengthen your heart and encourage your soul as you continue to trust in Him!

Won’t you take the challenge?