gigiming loves

✨ 2025 Sunday Theme: Trust

📖 Scripture

Psalm 115:9 (NIV)
“All you Israelites, trust in the Lord—He is their help and shield.”

📚 Background

Psalm 115 contrasts the living God with lifeless idols. While idols cannot see, hear, or act, the Lord is alive, attentive, and faithful. Verse 9 is a call to God’s people to place their trust in Him, who alone is their help and shield. This verse reminds us that trust is not passive—it is a choice to rely on God’s strength and protection.

💬 Devotional

A friend once shared how, during a season of financial uncertainty, he had to remind himself daily: “God is my shield.” He said, “I couldn’t see the outcome, but I knew I had to trust Him to provide.”

That’s the heart of Psalm 115:9. Trust is not about knowing the details—it’s about knowing the One who holds them. On the journey to the manger, Mary and Joseph had to trust God’s word, even when the path was unclear. Their obedience reminds us that trust is the bridge between God’s promises and our peace.

When we choose trust, we acknowledge that God is both our help in weakness and our shield in battle. He is present, faithful, and strong enough to carry us through.

🪞 Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life do you need to lean on God as your help and shield?
2. How does the example of Mary and Joseph inspire you to trust God’s plan?
3. What idols—things you rely on instead of God—might you need to release to fully trust Him?

🛠️ Application: Living It Out

• Declare trust. Each morning, speak aloud: “God is my help and shield.”
• Release control. Identify one area where you’ve been relying on your own strength and surrender it to God in prayer.
• Encourage trust. Share Psalm 115:9 with a friend or family member who needs reassurance of God’s protection.

📌 Key Takeaways

• Trust is a choice to rely on God’s strength and protection.
• God is both our help in weakness and our shield in battle.
• Mary and Joseph’s journey to the manger shows us that trust leads to obedience and peace.
• Psalm 115:9 reminds us that idols fail, but God is faithful and present.