Just three weeks ago, I meditated on different names of God that are about safety and protection: My Refuge and my Shield
My Shield for the battle, and my Hiding Place when things get too much for me.
(You can click the links to read those posts.)
Today's names of God are similar in meaning and are found in some of the same psalms. Matsud or Metzudah means Fortress - a place we can flee to when we need protection. In Psalm 31: 2 - 3, David proclaims, "You are a Rock of refuge for me, a strong Fortress where I will be safe."
But God is not just a "passive" Protector, waiting for us to run to Him. Sometimes, when we can't get ourselves out of situations or when our opponents are too strong for us, He steps in and actively rescues us from our enemies. Yahweh Pālat means Rescuer or Deliverer. It's often found in the very same psalms as those other names about protection
Psalm 144: 2 - You are my Loving God and my Fortress (Matsud), my High Tower and my Deliverer (Pālat); my Shield and the One in whom I trust."
(The photos, by the way, are of Antequera, here in southern Spain.)
