I have been spending time in the book of Micah and found it significant that the name Micah is derived from Micaiah, meaning, “Who is like the Lord?” Micah ends his prophetic utterance with a watchful question: “Who is a God like unto You…?” Which other El—God, Mighty One, Strength—is like You? Which other can be compared to You? No other god is like You. There is no God like You. Where is the god who can compare with You? Is there any god like You?
Micah answers his own question by bearing witness to God’s steadfast love, His compassion, and His faithfulness to covenant. David and the other psalmists continue this testimony, declaring how God—Jehovah, our Adonai—is distinct from all other gods. As I woke this morning, the phrase “The Lord is…” rose in my spirit, followed by memories of three psalms learned early in life: Psalms 23, 27, and 121. I returned to those psalms with a watchful heart, listening for what the Spirit of the Lord desired to speak to my spirit today.
I was reminded of the personal relationship God desires with His people. I was reminded that this God—our God—is actively committed to my preservation; He wants me to LIVE. He has made Himself my Shepherd, overseeing my journey through life. As I walk as a pilgrim, submitting to being His sheep—knowing, hearing, and following only His voice—He feeds me, guides me, and shields me (Psalm 23). He becomes my provider, leader, protector, and companion. He is Jehovah Raah—the Lord my Shepherd.
God has also made Himself my light—the One who illuminates and causes me to see, both physically and spiritually, as I move forward. His light governs my steps. His light supplies instruction, truth, and discernment for my decisions. If I remain oriented toward His light, He causes me to see clearly. The Lord is my light—Jehovah Ori—the One who enables sight, guidance, and truth, revealing the right path and furnishing what is needed for the journey.
This great God has also made Himself my salvation—the One who rescues, delivers, and saves in moments of distress, danger, trouble, and sin. When opposition rises and targets my life, God reveals Himself as my strength—my stronghold, fortress, refuge, strong tower, and rock. He delivers when deliverance is required and defends when shielding is needed. He is Jehovah Yasha—my Savior, Deliverer, and Rescuer. He is also Jehovah Maoz—the Lord my strength and fortified place. In Him, I find both deliverance and defense. He becomes my safe harbor and my stronghold, my rock of protection and my place of refuge.
This is why Psalm 27 declares there is no need to fear—no need to be afraid—regardless of the size of the enemy or the intensity of the assault. Because God is omnipotent, fear has no rightful place. My response, then, is to seek His face—not merely with lips or words, but with my heart—because the Lord is my light and my salvation and has become the strength of my life (Psalm 27).
Finally, this great God has made Himself my ezer—the One who runs toward me with strength to help—and my samar—the One who stands watch as my personal guard. He guards me from evil, preserves my life (soul), and watches over my movements and activities. I have a God who comes to my aid in moments of vulnerability and threat. David calls Him “my help.” He is not only my help, but also my keeper and preserver—the One who preserves me from all evil and watches over my going out and my coming in. His protection is intentional, personal, and attentive. He is Jehovah Ezer and Jehovah Samar—the Lord my Help and the Lord my Keeper (Psalm 121).
Together, these three psalms form a faithful witness to what God’s presence has been in my life throughout 2025. In times of trouble—whether self-inflicted or encountered while walking in obedience—He has revealed Himself as Shepherd, Light, Salvation, Strength, Help, and Keeper. This awareness anchors my soul and fills me with expectancy as I look toward what He will accomplish through and with me in 2026.
As I look ahead, I am reminded of the words from I Know Who Holds Tomorrow by Ira F. Stanphill (1950):
Many things about tomorrow,
I don’t seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.
I know who holds my hand—the God to whom no one can be compared. The God of whom it is rightly said: there is no one like Him. As you enter 2026, do so watchfully—holding His hand—and endeavor to maintain that grip throughout the year.
My prayer for us in 2026 is that we would receive a deeper revelation of this God—Jehovah, our Help and Keeper.
Happy and Jehovah-filled 2026!