My Strength and Defense - The Crosswalk Devotional - September 8

My Strength and Defense
By Emma Danzey

Isaiah 12:2 says, "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

Surely God Is My Salvation
It is great to be reminded that we have salvation through Jesus. In Isaiah 12, the promised Messiah, Jesus, had not yet come to earth. However, the people of God believed Him at His Word. The Lord used many prophets to speak truth into hard situations and to share about the coming Savior. Isaiah was one of these prophets. In Isaiah 12, Isaiah writes a song of praise after Isaiah 11 just shares about the coming Messiah. The Israelites were well aware that they were sinful and rebellious people. This start to Isaiah 12:2 “Surely” is a confidence that the promised Messiah would be coming and their faith in the Lord who had a redemption plan to cover their sins once and for all.

I Will Trust and Not Be Afraid
The Israelites were a fearful people. Many of them wanted to go back to slavery in Egypt in the difficulty of escape, many of them did not trust in God and took matters into their own hands, and many of them lived out of fear and not faith in the Lord. In this time, Isaiah is reminding the people of their anchor in the Lord. Isaiah encourages us still today to place our trust in the Lord because He is our Peace, and we do not have to be afraid when we are resting in Him.

Our momentary trials and hardships might be extremely painful and difficult, but we can get through knowing that the Lord is with us and we have eternal security in Heaven because of Jesus. We can each declare this in our own lives today, “I will trust and not be afraid.”

The LORD, the LORD Himself Is My Strength and My Defense
When LORD is mentioned in all caps, it is referring to the proper name of God, YHWH. We as believers agree with Isaiah’s statement that God, our God Himself, is our strength and our defense. He helps us to move forward but also protects us from the attacks of the enemy. He is the perfect sacrifice from eternal separation from the Lord. When we undergo spiritual attacks from the enemy, His Spirit within us strengthens and empowers us to stand firm not in our own strength but in leaning on God’s.

In what ways do you need to be reminded that God is your strength and your defense? He is fighting for you, and He is guarding You. I love how we know that it is the Lord who holds the victory, and we are His beloved children. Even when the war seems to tarry, our Savior reminds us of His everlasting presence and His power in the midst of the battle. We can have eternal mindsets with the help of His Spirit.

He Has Become My Salvation
More valuable than a temporary victory is the fact that when we place our faith in Jesus, He has become our salvation. This is eternal security. This is forever hope and confidence of life with Him in heaven. I love how Isaiah begins and ends this verse with this truth. He is reminding us twice that our story, our lives, begin and end with God. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Is Jesus your salvation? If you have never accepted this gift through His death and resurrection, ask Him into your heart today. When He is our salvation, we have full victory in Christ. In what ways has it been difficult for your to trust God right now? How can this verse remind you not to be afraid and to fully rely on Him? How has the Lord been a strength and defense on your behalf in the past? How does this give you encouragement that He is fighting for you now and in the future?

Further Reading:

Emma Danzey’s mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry, she focuses most of her time in the home, but loves to provide articles on the Bible, life questions, and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021. Most recently, Emma released Treasures for Tots, (Scripture memory songs) for young children. During her ministry career, Emma has released Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness, two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, and ran the Refined Magazine. You can view her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com and check out her Instagram @Emmadanzey.