**I have to begin my week of devotions giving a shout out to my favorite choir: Union Baptist Church Choir. You guys did a fabulous job with your Christmas concert. As I said in the service, "If not the best Christmas concert I have ever witnessed". I am so proud of you all!

Psalms 119 is where I have been spending most of my mornings. Several of my preaching mentors have also been preaching on the subject and the scriptures seem to fit our daily lives. I like this particular Psalm because the writer calls it what it is. Such is the case in today's scripture.

Psalms 119:113-120 - "I hate those that are double minded but I love Thy law".

Double minded people will be those who profess to be a Christian but yet choose to act out in a un-christian like manner. Whether it be with their hobbies, their social life, their retaliation, etc... They may say they are Christians but with their actions they are "double minded".

But what an encouraging verse that I can testify to today in verse 114.

"Thou art my hiding place and my shield."

Let me tell you from personal experience when it seems like everyone is against you - God is for you. When it seems you can't fight your battles by yourself, God says He will fight them for you. And when you seem to be standing in the middle of fiery darts from others, God promises in this scriptures to by my "hiding place" - a place I can retreat to for encouragement and love. I can pick up God's holy word (His very words) and its like He can put a bubble around me that shuts out the noise this world trys to put into my head. I can get in that "hiding place" and just think upon the good things of God.

He promises to by my shield - so when those darts are thrown, they never reach me because God has placed a shield in front of me that no man can get through. I don't have to get down because of others. I don't have to be scared of tatics. I don't have to worry about problems this life seems to offer because God is my shield and to get to me you have to first go through Him.

Prayer: "God, thank you for standing guard of my mind by providing me a hiding place. Thank you for standing guard of my heart by providing a shield. Help me to concentrate soley on your word and not this world."