![[Photo of a Scripture verse]](https://www.deankwilson.com/Blog_images/Psalm_22_19.jpg)
| “But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me.” |
| —Psalm 22:19 |
Many times during a television police procedural drama, when the protagonist is attempting to protect someone under his or her care, the actor will say these words, “Stay close.” In other words, “If I’m going to protect you, I need you to stay close to me so I know where you are at all times.”
Just as easily, the person being protected could make the same request of his or her protector: “Stay close to me. I know you will protect me if you stay right by my side.”
King David understood this need for closeness in order to have the protection he needed to survive the attacks by his enemies. Notice what he wrote in Psalm 22:19:
But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
Each day, as we walk the pathway that God has laid out before us, we need to pray this prayer of David. It allows us to recognize anew our need for God to hold us safely in the hollow of His mighty hand. It gives ascent to the truth that if we try to walk alone, we will fall off the pathway. Our enemy, Satan, wants to do everything he can to poison our spiritual formation. But, with God alongside us, we will remain fully protected from whatever evil Satan sends our way.
