My dear friend, it is a joy to greet you this day. Today, we are meditating on the promise found in Psalm 28:7, which says, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me." My friend, are you saying, “I feel weak today. I have no one around me to help me. I'm facing this difficult situation all by myself”? I would like to encourage you by saying that the Lord Himself will be your helper today. He will strengthen you right at this moment and assure you that He is with you, and you will know that you can trust Him with all your heart.

This is exactly what happened in the life of Jacob in the Bible. We read how Jacob ran away from his home after deceiving his brother. Afraid and ashamed, he spent years hiding and staying away from him. But during that time, God taught Jacob how to trust Him; how to truly depend on Him. Then one day, as we see in Genesis 31, God told Jacob to return to his own land and to his relatives. But Jacob was afraid. “I have to face my brother again,” he thought. “I wronged him. He’ll be waiting to kill me. How can I go back?”

My friend, maybe you, too, are being asked to face your past. It may be a relationship, a family member, or even a past sickness. And you might be saying, “I’m all alone. How can I possibly deal with this? They may be waiting to destroy me. Waiting to finish me off.” That’s exactly how Jacob felt. Then Jacob prayed, “Lord, save me. I’m afraid my brother will come and attack me.” Even so, he set out in obedience, returning to his land. And what happened next, in Genesis 32, is so amazing. God sent His angels to meet Jacob on the way. Yes, God strengthened Jacob. He became a shield around him. And when Jacob finally saw his brother from a distance, expecting the worst, do you know what happened?

Esau ran to Jacob and embraced him. He threw his arms around his neck, kissed him, and they both wept. Yes, my friend, God strengthened Jacob on his journey. He protected him, and He helped him in his situation. And today, if you’re worried about facing your past, remember that God is strengthening you right now. He is calming your heart. He is surrounding you with His peace. He will be a shield around you, and He will help you, just like He helped Jacob. No harm will touch you. No evil can come near you. God will protect you. So, be of good cheer, my friend. Don’t worry about anything. Just continue to trust Him with all your heart. Shall we thank God today for being our strength, our shield, and our helper?

PRAYER: 
Precious heavenly Father, thank You for being my strength when I feel weak. Thank You for being my shield in times of fear. Today, I choose to trust You with all my heart. When I face my past, remind me that You are going before me. Just like You helped Jacob, I know You will help me, too. Fill my heart with Your peace and remove every fear. Let Your presence surround me like a mighty shield. Thank You for never leaving me alone, even for a moment. I find my rest in You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.