But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Psalm 3: 3-4 (Amplified Bible)
I had to chuckle when I noticed the auto underlining done by Microsoft Word of “But You” in today’s verse. It prompted me to insert a comma after “But.” However, as I thought about it I realized that without the work of God in my life I would be nothing. The “But God” stays. You see, I learned this week, at our church’s Women’s Retreat, that our lives are but a vapor in the larger scheme of things. The speaker, Cynthia Heald, shared the story of a time when she was ill and needed a vaporizer. She decided to measure the length of a vapor because she was curious after reading James 4:14, Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. She discovered that it lasts about seven seconds. I figure I have about one second left. My first six seconds reflect a life of ups and downs, joys and sorrows, life and death. My greatest struggle is to trust Him for His leadership and guidance and not get in the way trying to “help” or “control” or “lead.” Despair may threaten to overwhelm me but I have to remember the enemy must be working overtime. For I know when I cry out for His help and wait for His answer, then I am able to walk with my head held high. The Lord is my shield and protector. Selah!