David writes in Psalm 54:3, "Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men seek my life - men without regard for God."

Does this sound anything like the week facing you?  Does it describe the week you had last week?  Does it describe every week of your life?  Are strangers coming at you from every direction with no regard for God and determined to see you fail?  Are troubles coming at you fast and furious?  Maybe the attacks are not from ruthless men, but they are schemes of the devil: negative thoughts, destructive thoughts, tempting thoughts, vengeful thoughts, greedy thoughts, or hateful thoughts.

If you are committed to following God and living as one after God's own heart, like David, these may very well be in your future, or perhaps they describe your life today. Whether the attacks come from "ruthless men without regard for God," or from strangers from the unseen world of Satan, the plan is the same: to slander you, to destroy you, to ruin your reputation, to discourage you, to frustrate you, to weaken your influence, to damage your family, and to devastate your world.

Notice how David responded in Psalm 54:4:
    "Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me."  (NIV)
    "But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive!" (NLT)
    "You will help me, Lord God, and keep me from falling;" (CEV)

These thoughts should go with us as we face the strangers, the enemies, and the attacks that fall in our path:
    The Lord is the one who sustains me.
        The Lord keeps me alive.
            The Lord will keep me from falling.

If your husband comes home and tells you that he has decided that he no longer loves you and wants a divorce, remember:
    The Lord is the one who sustains me.
        The Lord keeps me alive.
            The Lord will keep me from falling.

If you receive a notice that your company is not immune to the impact of the economic crisis and layoffs may be unavoidable, remember:
    The Lord is the one who sustains me.
        The Lord keeps me alive.
            The Lord will keep me from falling.

If your friend tells you that she thinks she is in love with a man she has worked with for several years, and cannot continue to pretend she loves her husband, remember:
    The Lord is the one who sustains me.
        The Lord keeps me alive.
            The Lord will keep me from falling.

If your parents inform you that they do not love each other and are separating, remember:
    The Lord is the one who sustains me.
        The Lord keeps me alive.
            The Lord will keep me from falling.

If your doctor suggests exploratory surgery, remember:
    The Lord is the one who sustains me.
        The Lord keeps me alive.
            The Lord will keep me from falling.

If you find yourself alone in an empty house with no place to go and no one to talk to, remember:
    The Lord is the one who sustains me.
        The Lord keeps me alive.
            The Lord will keep me from falling.

If you are forced to accept that the dream you have dreamed your whole life is probably never going to come true, remember:
    The Lord is the one who sustains me.
        The Lord keeps me alive.
            The Lord will keep me from falling.

If you find yourself discouraged, defeated, and deserted, remember:
    The Lord is the one who sustains me.
        The Lord keeps me alive.
            The Lord will keep me from falling.

These words are not intended to minimize the difficulty of any painful situation mentioned above, or your own unique struggles.  Instead, they are written with the hope that whatever attack you may face this week you will remember that it is the Lord who sustains us, it is the Lord who keeps us alive, and it is the Lord who will keep us from falling.

We cannot survive the attacks of this world or the demonic world on our own. We must depend on the Lord.  David's source of strength is our source of strength.  The Lord is the one who sustains us.  The Lord keeps us alive.  The Lord will keep us from falling.   He will deliver us in all our troubles.

The Lord is the one who sustains me. God is my help.

- Tom