{"id":8539,"date":"2023-03-08T06:41:28","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T12:41:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joannalo.blog\/?p=8539"},"modified":"2026-07-03T19:23:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T00:23:28","slug":"keep-me-psalm-178","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=8539","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Keep me.&#8221; Psalm 17:8"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Psalmist knows his enemy\u2014<em>and that&#8217;s half our battle you guys.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You&#8217;ve got stuff. A heart that needs healing, a mind that needs truth, purposes from God that need direction and protection. Notice with me King David&#8217;s situation. It&#8217;s critical. He&#8217;s <em>surrounded<\/em> by hostiles. There&#8217;s a bounty on his soul, and every hungry lion waits in ambush for a piece of him. Under tremendous trial he doesn&#8217;t go looking for a new hobby, a preoccupation, a new relationship. King David isn&#8217;t looking to distract himself from the truth of his situation, the gravity of his reality. <strong><em>The man who has every resource at<\/em><\/strong><strong><em>his fingertips\u2014<\/em><\/strong><strong><em>keeps moving in the direction of his Savior<\/em><\/strong><strong><em>. <\/em><\/strong>Keeps praying, singing, crying, seeking <em>the One<\/em> <em>and only refuge of his lonely soul.<\/em> And what was the result of David&#8217;s running for the LORD?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the mountains trembled and quaked, <em>because He<\/em> (the LORD) <em>was angry.<\/em>&#8221; (Psalm 18:7)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The voices\u2014bullies that lurk in the corners of our mind\u2014tell us,&nbsp;<em>You are all you have. Buckle up.<\/em> <em>Cuz survival is on you. <\/em><strong><em>God has forgotten us.&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s why &#8220;leaders&#8221; speak such lofty tunes<strong><em>\u2014<\/em><\/strong>promise reform, claim success<strong><em>\u2014<\/em><\/strong>while everything remains a bloody mess. It&#8217;s what they have to say to sleep at night.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Jesus promises what only He has done\u2014<em>resurrection.&nbsp;<\/em>Why would we turn to man, our own perpetual failing plans, when the Most High is one humble cry away?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.&#8221; (Psalm 18:16)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Psalmist knows his enemy\u2014and that&#8217;s half our battle you guys.&nbsp; You&#8217;ve got stuff. A heart that needs healing, a mind that needs truth, purposes from God that need direction and protection. Notice with me King David&#8217;s situation. It&#8217;s critical. He&#8217;s surrounded by hostiles. There&#8217;s a bounty on his soul, and every hungry lion waits [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143625079,"featured_media":8549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[54418],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bible"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pacmrQ-2dJ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8178,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=8178","url_meta":{"origin":8539,"position":0},"title":"&#8220;The lifter of my head.&#8221; Psalm 3:3","author":"Jo Alo","date":"February 26, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"You can't trust those feelings. Don't give that voice a second thought\u2014the one that says, \"It's too hard, just give up.\" I'll be honest, it's been the anthem of my life. But by God's goodness and\u00a0loving kindness we surely overcome. The Lord Jesus Christ has been, will always be, the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The Bible&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The Bible","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=54418"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ffe61618-df09-4c0d-9c8a-eb8271220360.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1046&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ffe61618-df09-4c0d-9c8a-eb8271220360.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1046&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ffe61618-df09-4c0d-9c8a-eb8271220360.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1046&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ffe61618-df09-4c0d-9c8a-eb8271220360.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1046&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ffe61618-df09-4c0d-9c8a-eb8271220360.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1046&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20046,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=20046","url_meta":{"origin":8539,"position":1},"title":"How God Can Breathe Life Into Your Weary Soul","author":"Jo Alo","date":"July 7, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"My daddy is a no-nonsense kinda guy. All business that one is. But with some creative coaxing he can laugh with the best of them. Last evening a grimace was all he could muster as ER doctor applied pressure to his bleeding head. My hand resting on his chest, I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;hope&quot;","block_context":{"text":"hope","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=20816"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/david-ballew-P7saq8j11pM-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/david-ballew-P7saq8j11pM-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/david-ballew-P7saq8j11pM-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/david-ballew-P7saq8j11pM-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/david-ballew-P7saq8j11pM-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C857&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8301,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=8301","url_meta":{"origin":8539,"position":2},"title":"&#8220;My soul, wait thou only upon God.&#8221;  Psalm 62:5","author":"Jo Alo","date":"March 1, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been a people pleaser. A smile permanently painted on my face in every public situation for the pleasure of others\u2014even when offended or treated cruelly. People pleasing didn't make me kind or self-sacrificial\u2014it left me bitter, angry, even thought myself better than others. It wasn't humility\u2014it was hypocrisy. What\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;salvation&quot;","block_context":{"text":"salvation","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=56391"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/rommel-davila-j9netahsnkw-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1152&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/rommel-davila-j9netahsnkw-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1152&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/rommel-davila-j9netahsnkw-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1152&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/rommel-davila-j9netahsnkw-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1152&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/rommel-davila-j9netahsnkw-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1152&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11037,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=11037","url_meta":{"origin":8539,"position":3},"title":"&#8220;Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?&#8221; Matthew 22:12","author":"Jo Alo","date":"June 14, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Did you know, the guest in the parable of the wedding feast isn\u2019t being judged for improper wedding attire? I\u2019ve had unsettled questions about this parable. Why is this guy singled out because of the clothing he chooses to wear? I thought Jesus said not to worry about what we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The Bible&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The Bible","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=54418"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/samantha-gades-x40q9jrevt0-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/samantha-gades-x40q9jrevt0-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/samantha-gades-x40q9jrevt0-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/samantha-gades-x40q9jrevt0-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/samantha-gades-x40q9jrevt0-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2364,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=2364","url_meta":{"origin":8539,"position":4},"title":"Getting More Than You Can Handle: The Truth About What God Gives","author":"Jo Alo","date":"April 25, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The first time I heard someone say it, I thought God a cruel deity. The second time was after I\u2019d read the whole Bible and couldn\u2019t wait to set the record straight. She decreed it to a crowd of us during a lady\u2019s retreat, \u201cGod never gives us more than\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;false teaching&quot;","block_context":{"text":"false teaching","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=135063"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/859e1666-8a47-4f78-a804-68752d7641f3.jpeg?fit=1000%2C714&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/859e1666-8a47-4f78-a804-68752d7641f3.jpeg?fit=1000%2C714&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/859e1666-8a47-4f78-a804-68752d7641f3.jpeg?fit=1000%2C714&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/859e1666-8a47-4f78-a804-68752d7641f3.jpeg?fit=1000%2C714&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10718,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=10718","url_meta":{"origin":8539,"position":5},"title":"THE BODY OF CHRIST &amp; HOW WE BECOME A SAFE PLACE TO LAND","author":"Jo Alo","date":"May 25, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it be given.\" Matthew 14:9 King Herod made a fools move\u2014trading anything within his power for one dance from the queen's daughter. I always thought this story a good lesson in taking extreme caution when making promises. With that said\u2014I also\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The Bible&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The Bible","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=54418"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/annie-spratt-gq5pecp8phe-unsplash-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/annie-spratt-gq5pecp8phe-unsplash-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/annie-spratt-gq5pecp8phe-unsplash-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/annie-spratt-gq5pecp8phe-unsplash-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/annie-spratt-gq5pecp8phe-unsplash-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/juliane-liebermann-o-rku3aqnsw-unsplash.jpg?fit=2304%2C1536&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/143625079"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8539"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8539\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19568,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8539\/revisions\/19568"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}