Psalm 29:11 
“The LORD gives strength to his people; 
the LORD blesses his people with peace.” (NIV)

GOD makes his people strong.
GOD gives his people peace.
(The Message)

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I also read Proverbs 27:1 this morning. Late in 1984 or early in 1985, I read this proverb, and it stuck. I needed it then. I still need it today. You might also find it beneficial. 

If you were to look at my Friday morning page in my prayer notebook, you would see this verse there. It’s a timely reminder every weekend. Of course, it’s also good for Mondays. In fact, it’s rather flexible in its application. You can benefit from it on any day that ends in Y. 

“Do not boast about tomorrow, 
for you do not know what a day may bring.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I had a meeting yesterday that I was dreading. Before that, I had a meeting that was life-giving. I mean, it was truly refreshing. Then I had another good one on top of that. It put steel in my spine. Then, when I arrived at the meeting I was led to dread, I discovered it was actually one of the best meetings I will have this year. 

Right after that, I had an even better meeting. If you come to the opinion that I have a lot of meetings, you’re right. Our daughter worked in our office for two weeks when she was between college and law school, and we were between assistants. It only took her a few days to figure out the nature of my job. She said, “You meet, eat, and repeat.” 

That pretty much sums it up. 

So here we are on a Friday morning, and God says, “I give strength to my people. I bless my people with peace.” Now that’s me putting this final verse of Psalm 29 into a neat and tidy paraphrase. It is a personal application of what GOD says in this verse. 

To further paraphrase The Message paraphrase, we could say, 

“God makes ME strong. 
God gives ME peace.” 

He does, you know.

Where do you need God to apply his strength today? 

Where do you need God to apply his peace? 

Ask him to do so. He who brought you this far is not going to abandon you now. If you feel like you’re drowning, trust me, he’ll teach you to swim. If you feel like you’re being crushed, trust me, he will make the stone a hiding place and a platform for performing what comes next. 

As King David says repeatedly throughout the Psalms, our God is our rock and our refuge, our hiding place. Psalm 27 verse 1 says: 

“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?”

I know why I need these timely reminders today. Why do you need them? You don’t need to tell me, but you do need to tell God. Tell him what you need, and thank him for all he’s done. (See Philippians 4:6-7 in the New Living Translation.)

He who is the same yesterday, today, and forever is working out his goodness and grace for you right now. 

That’s good news. 

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I will live and work from a place of God’s strength and peace. 

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Our Father, thank you that you are better to us than we would be to ourselves. Thank you for your daily kindness. Your mercy is fresh every morning. You know what we need right now, and you’ve already provided it. You’re already doing for us more than we can imagine, more than we would ever think to ask. We ask you to protect us, to defend us, and to provide for us as only you can. Align our hearts and minds with your truth and your grace. Make us instruments of your peace, even to those who seek to wound us for whatever reason. We belong to you. You are our light and salvation. You are our stronghold of safety. We do not have to be afraid. Amen.