The Traveller’s Psalm

David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. – 1 Samuel 23:14 (NIV)

David, being pursued by King Saul, sought refuge in the hills under God’s protection.  Credited as writing most of the songs in the Book of Psalms, it would come as no surprise if the one, which is called the Traveller’s Psalm, was written while David was in the wilderness.

You see, in this Psalm, numbered 121 in the bible, David speaks of looking at the hills as he releases a heartfelt cry for help,

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?

He then answers his own question with surety, indicating that he already knew the answer – help comes from the ultimate Helper – the Lord.

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

When you cannot find help, when no one is willing to assist, to whom do you turn? Do you just keep asking others for help?

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT)

Have you ever been in such a predicament? Have you ever fallen alone? In desperation, that may prompt you to ask, like David, “from where does my help come?” and, like David, you must also know that your help comes from the Lord.

Don’t be like the woman with the 12-year haemorrhage who, only after she’d exhausted her resources, went to seek after the Lord for help (see Luke 8:43-48). Your first line of defence must always be the Lord, after all, He is a very present help in trouble (see Psalm 46:1).

We are all travellers on this journey of life, and David, in Psalm 121, reminds us that we do not travel alone; he lets us know that the Lord stands by our sides (v 5) so when trouble comes, for it will (see John 16:33), look to Him for help and be assured that He will provide divine care and protection.

Beloved, you may not be hiding out in the hills but as you travel along life’s journey, when you find yourself in need of help, the Traveller’s Psalm applied to your life, gives you courage in these uncertain, difficult and challenging times when fear can easily overwhelm.

Be assured that the Lord is with you day and night, offering you help, hope and protection, as you come and go both now and forever.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “The Traveller’s Psalm” ©2026 April 19, 2026

Let us Pray…

Acts 7:56 (ERV)

Stephen said, “Look! I see heaven open. And I see the Son of Man standing at God’s right side.”

Beloved, heaven is open and Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father (Ephesians 1:21). Jesus became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) by His death on the cross, healed us of our sins, and at once tore away the barrier between God and man, providing us complete access to the throne of Almighty God.

Hebrews 4:16 (ERV)

With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.

We can boldly go to the throne of God in times of need because today, there is an open heaven, and we are invited to draw upwards into the realities of heaven where…

1 Corinthians 2:9 (ERV)

“No one has ever seen, no one has ever heard, no one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Heaven is open beloved, we have complete access to God and can go boldly to His throne where there is grace so let us pray…

Let us pray, ascending upward until heaven invades earth.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Let us pray…” ©2026 April 18, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Prayer for Stress Relief

Cast your burden on the Lord [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail). – Psalm 55:22 (AMP)

Lord, You know things are hard for me right now. I am stressed and don’t see a way out, but I know that You see the bigger picture and that You can work miracles in my life. I release my burden on You trusting that I will get through this, not only surviving but thriving.

Thank You for sustaining me and upholding me so I do not slip, fall or fail.

I boldly declare that I am Your beloved child made righteous through Christ, so You will never allow me to be shaken. I no longer take ownership of this burden of stress, instead, I take ownership of the abundant life, love and healing that come from You.

I proclaim that I am leaving behind anything that causes me stress; all burdens were crucified with Christ on that rugged Cross!

Thank You for caring for me and carrying me along the path that leads to victory.

I will stay in faith, and I will trust You completely Lord.

I now open my heart to God’s presence to the point that there is no room for stress to creep in and settle down anymore.

Thank You that Your perfect love has cast out all anxiety and I no longer live as a prisoner of fear.

I decree that I was created for a life that’s better than the one I’m living; to live a life of victory, to live a life of supernatural abundance and to live a life free of the burden of stress.

Thank You for the river-like peace that now flows within me, for the calm that surrounds me and the tranquillity that attends me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “A Prayer for Stress Relief” ©2026 April 17, 2026

You need to rest

 

Life can be overwhelming at times, but more so these days when there is so much happening in the world. And I say that because though you may not be in the direct line of fire, so to speak, our world has become small and the events that take place around us affect us.

On top of everything we have to deal with in our personal lives, we listen to the news, changing from one channel to the next to catch the latest headlines, we surf the web, read the papers and engage in conversations about war and politics and crime and injustice and racism and the list of sordid events goes on and on, all of it feeding our subconscious and we wonder why we’re always so tired.

Day after day we lap it up not realizing the effect all that negativity is having on us.

I have a friend who, genuinely needing someone to talk to, would call to unload his problematic life on me. One day my mother said, “Soon enough, if you continue listening to his problems it’s going to have an adverse effect on you.” I scoffed and continued taking it in because as a good friend that’s what I should do.

Well, after days turned into months of him spilling himself empty while I was getting full, my mother’s words proved true as I began to feel unusually drained. My energy had been depleted to the point of extreme fatigue. I wondered, “Could that be the cause?”

I went back to my mother, her advice to me, “You need to rest. Stop listening because you are absorbing too much negativity.”

Yes beloved, you need to rest; it is essential to your well-being.

He lets me rest in fields of green grass and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water. (Psalm 23:2 GNT)

This verse leaves no doubt as to who you must turn to for the rest you need. It is no ordinary rest – not a 10-minute power nap. This is rest that only our loving Father can provide – it is supernatural, allowing you to feed on His nature and bask in His Presence.

According to the psalmist, God wants to give you His rest, rest that is refreshing to your soul, rest that strengthens your spirit, rest that provides you with peace that surpasses every circumstance and transcends understanding. It’s not temporary relief but rest that renews, restores and remains.

You need to rest – to rest in Him, where negativity is replaced with gratitude, where weariness is transformed into strength, and where your mind is at peace and your soul finally finds true rest in God alone.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “You need to rest” ©2026 April 16, 2026

Don’t Believe Yourself

 

Don’t believe yourself? What kind of advice is that? Why shouldn’t I believe myself; then who must I believe instead?

I can almost hear you protesting but yes, don’t believe yourself because you lie to yourself all the time.

Okay, so you disagree? Then ask yourself a few questions.

What have I been telling myself?

Have I subjected myself to a consistent diatribe of put-downs or a slew of compliments?

How often do I listen to and believe the self-deprecating voice in my head?

What are the things that voice has been telling me about me?

Does it constantly judge me and criticize me?

What has it been telling me about my life – how I look, how others treat me and think about me, my capabilities, my relationships, my spouse, my job, my friendships, my house, my love life, my hair, my size, the way I speak?

Now, answer this question: Do you believe the voice?

The voice in your head is forever droning on and on and on and it’s mostly a cacophony of negativity.

The voice in your head is lying to you, and you do not have to believe it, you can choose to not believe the lies.

Don’t believe yourself until you change your internal monologue.

It is time for you to replace the lies you’ve been telling yourself with the truth. You’ve been lying to yourself for so long that it may seem a tedious endeavour but you must be determined to get rid of the noise, refuse to listen, and don’t believe yourself until…

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God made you in such a wonderful way, lovingly knitting you together while still in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:14 & 13).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God made you to be like Him with the ability to reflect divine attributes; He created you in His own image, empowered to rule over His creation (Genesis 1:26 & 27).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God loves you with an everlasting love and He will always be faithful to you (Jeremiah 31:3).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God is for you – He has your back – God is with you (Romans 8:31) and He will fight for you (Deuteronomy 3:22).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God’s love for you is so great that He gave His only Son, so that [you] who believe in Him may not die but have eternal life; Christ sacrificed His life for you (John 3:16; 1 John 3:16 GNT).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that God has a good plan for you, a plan filled with hope and a good future (Jeremiah 11:29).

Don’t believe yourself until you internalize the truth that you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that [you] should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10 ERV).

Remember what Jesus said in John 10:10 (GNT),

The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.

Beloved, don’t believe yourself until you internalize that you cannot have life in all its fullness if you are believing the lies floating around in your head. That inner voice you are believing is like the thief, stealing, killing and destroying your life.

So, speak the truth God says about you until it replaces the lies that you’ve been telling yourself, for as you hear His word, as you accept it, as you embrace it and as you believe it, it will impact you in such an incredibly powerful way that it changes your life forever (1 Thessalonians 2:13).  

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Don’t Believe Yourself” ©2026 April 15, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What about Persis?

 

We often question God. We ask,

“What is my purpose?”

Believe it or not, that is a question driven by self-serving needs. It may seem to be headed in a noble direction, but it has everything to do with you and nothing to do with God.

We are here to serve God, but we get so caught up in wanting to be served that we lose sight of our primary purpose. So, we ask the question, thinking of ourselves and how we can benefit from the answer.

Your purpose is tied to your being in service to God because it is serving God that gives you purpose and renders you significant. You were created to play a role in His eternal plan. It’s not even about being religious, it’s about being aligned with divine intention.

To serve God in any capacity is to fulfil the purpose for which you were created.

Some of us are well-known in our church and consider that our purpose but purpose has nothing to do with popularity. Persis is mentioned only once in the bible so we can conclude that she wasn’t popular, but she did have a purpose.

Long story short…no, her story isn’t long at all, it’s actually short.

Persis was a member of the church in Rome and in Apostle Paul’s letter to the church (Romans 16), she was one of several members to whom he sent greetings.

And though her name appears way down in verse 12, it’s obvious that Paul must have thought very highly of Persis, as he not only refers to her as “my dear friend Persis” but he then validates her significance by adding, “who has done so much work for the Lord”.

Paul recognized the amount of work that Persis had done for the Lord in the establishment of the church. She may not have been a leader or even popular but, as a member, she certainly laboured, not for recognition yet her work did not go unnoticed and the Apostle’s deliberate reference to that was his way of honouring her faithful service.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people. Remember that the Lord will give you as a reward what he has kept for his people. For Christ is the real Master you serve. – Colossians 3:23-24 (GNT)

We should strive to work for the Lord with all our heart. That ought to be our goal in whatever we’re tasked to do.

Beloved, like Persis, you must work diligently and faithfully for the Lord in all you do. Seek ways to serve Him, after all you are His creation, it’s His world, His plan and His purpose.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “What about Persis?” ©2026 April 14, 2026

 

 

 

Bless the Lord

 

Photo courtesy O'Reilly Lewis

God blessed nature.

God blessed all the living things in the sea and told them to have many babies and fill the seas. And he blessed the birds on land and told them to have many more babies. – Genesis 1:22 (ERV)

God blessed mankind.

God created humans…God blessed them and said to them, “Have many children. Fill the earth and take control of it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth.” – Genesis 1:27, 28 (ERV)

God blessed the Sabbath.

God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day. He made it special because on that day he rested from all the work he did while creating the world. – Genesis 2:3 (ERV)

God blesses individuals.

Abraham lived to be a very old man. The Lord blessed him and everything he did. – Genesis 24:1 (ERV)

So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. – Galatians 3:9 (ESV)

God blesses nations.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord – Psalm 33:12 (NIV)

Throughout the bible we see God doing the blessing, but we are also to bless – to bless the Lord. This is made very clear in Psalm 103, with its very first verse exhorting us to bless the Lord with all that is deepest within us, our innermost being must bless His holy name.

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!

This Psalm expresses a deep personal worship and adoration of the Lord and rightly so as the Hebrew word used here means to kneel before, to adore, to salute, to praise.

No matter what, it is always fitting to bless the Lord; He deserves our praise.

Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) – Psalm 150:6 (AMPC)

It is important to remind the soul, and to keep in mind to bless the Lord, as our human nature causes us to forget, especially when we get caught up in all the busyness of life.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. – Psalm 34:1 (AMPC) should be our mantra.

When we bless the Lord, our focus is zoomed in on Him.

When we bless the Lord, we bring His glory to mind and respond in worship.

And as we deliberately call to mind the goodness of God, we must bless the Lord

Psalm 103 in verses 20-22 (NASB) says,

Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the Lord, all you His angels,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, my soul!

To bless the Lord is to give Him praise.

To bless the Lord is to kneel before Him in adoration.

To bless the Lord is to bow in awe and love of Him.

To bless the Lord is to obey Him.

To bless the Lord is to serve Him by doing His will.

God’s heart is blessed when we bless Him in this way and as we bless the Lord, He inhabits our praises (ref. Psalm 22:3) and imparts His blessings upon us.

Beloved, bless the Lord for Who He is, not only for what He can do, has done, continues to do and will do. Bless the Lord because you are grateful and you love Him.

Blessing the Lord lifts your spirit high above all that seeks to confine you, and you’ll begin to sense His wonderful presence all around you as you break free from the limitations of this life. So, bless the Lord!

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Bless the Lord” ©2026 April 13, 2026