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David said:
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my
deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold and my refuge,
my savior; you save me from violence.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be
praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
The LORD thundered from heaven;
the Most High uttered his voice.
He sent out arrows, and scattered them
— lightning, and routed them.
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
the foundations of the world were laid bare
at the rebuke of the LORD,
at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
He reached from on high, he took me,
he drew me out of mighty waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me;
for they were too mighty for me.
They came upon me in the day of my
calamity,
but the LORD was my stay.
He brought me out into a broad place;
he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
With the loyal you show yourself loyal;
with the blameless you show yourself
blameless;
with the pure you show yourself pure,
and with the crooked you show yourself
perverse.
You deliver a humble people,
but your eyes are upon the haughty to bring
them down.
Indeed, you are my lamp, O LORD,
the LORD lightens my darkness.
By you I can crush a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.
This God — his way is perfect;
the promise of the LORD proves true;
he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
For who is God, but the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?
The God who has girded me with strength
has opened wide my path.
He made my feet like the feet of deer,
and set me secure on the heights.
He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You have given me the shield of your
salvation,
and your help has made me great.
You have made me stride freely,
and my feet do not slip;
The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock,
and exalted be my God, the rock of my
salvation,
the God who gave me vengeance
and brought down peoples under me,
who brought me out from my enemies;
you exalted me above my adversaries,
you delivered me from the violent.
For this I will extol you, O LORD, among the
nations,
and sing praises to your name.
He is a tower of salvation for his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.
2 Samuel 22, selected verses
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my
fortress;
my God, in whom I trust."
For he will deliver you from the snare of the
fowler
and from the deadly pestilence;
he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
or the arrow that flies by day,
or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
Because you have made the LORD your
refuge,
the Most High your dwelling place,
no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning
you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a
stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder,
the young lion and the serpent you will trample
under foot.
Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them,
and show them my salvation.
Psalm 91
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the
strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is
not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present
darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be
able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to
stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your
waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your
feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of
peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you
will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take
the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God.
Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer
and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in
supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I
speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the
mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray
that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
Ephesians 6:10-20
You then, my child, be strong in the grace that
is in Christ Jesus; and what you have heard from me through many
witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others
as well. Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No
one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the
soldier's aim is to please the enlisting officer. And in the case of
an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the
rules. It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first
share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you
understanding in all things.
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a
descendant of David — that is my gospel, for which I suffer
hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the
word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the
sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is
in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we will also live
with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful
—
for he cannot deny himself.
2 Timothy 2:1-13
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