God Our Shield

God fights for us. Daily He protects us from the schemes of the devil. He surrounds us with His ministering angels to guard our way.

God tells Abram, "After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." (Genesis 15:1, NIV). This verse comes after Abram's victory to rescue Lot and recovered everything that was stolen (Genesis 14:16-17). Through it all God was shielding Abram from danger and harm from both natural and spiritual enemies.

In the past two days I've been ill with a cold. I've come to appreciate the body's immune system. The immune system acts as a shield so to speak to ward of sickness and disease. But once the body is infected, the immune system is weaken and compromised. When the shield is lowered, any number of other illness have an opportunity to impact the body.

Likewise, we have a spiritual shield, the Word of God. Daily we need to read God's word to keep our spiritual immune system health and robust. Otherwise, we will find ourselves becoming weaker, prone to the ills of fears, doubts and anxiety. We'll drop our guard, say or do things that otherwise we wouldn't do if we had been reading and mediating on God's word.

Have you noticed a change when you stopped reading His word? Have you noticed your tone and the way you speak to others when you are not praying? It can become noticeable to others that there isn't that peace, that sweetness and joy which follows after you commune with the Lord. The Psalmist says, "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him" (Psalms 28:7, NIV).

Let me encourage you, beloved that when you feel overwhelmed by life to pray Psalms 3:3, "But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high" (NIV). God will infuse you with strength to fight, resist the enemy and to stand on His promise. For indeed, there is no greater protection than God surrounding us, like a shield that keeps us hidden from every flaming arrow of the evil one.