Showing posts with label shield. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shield. Show all posts
Yesterday, while walking through the grocery store, my cell phone began playing the song sung by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, “Thou, Oh Lord.” The phone was in my purse with the lock screen in place. No one touched it. Yet somehow, some way, the phone began to play this song loud enough that I could hear it, even in the midst of the crowded supermarket. I picked up the phone to see what was going on, since I have a different song set as my ringtone. When I pressed the button to stop the music, it kept playing. Finally, I turned the sound completely off. The music stopped, but I am still perplexed as to how this occurred. While I cannot explain how it happened, I am fairly certain that I know why. I believe God was reminding me that He has everything under control.
Sometimes in life, it seems like everything is going according to our plans. Our job provides a stress-free environment and steady income, our family is healthy, nothing rains on our parade, so to speak. All too soon, a storm comes through like a tornado, perhaps causing turbulence in the workplace, illnesses among our family members, or other negative circumstances we must endure. It is during these times that we need to have the calm assurance that Jesus Christ is standing alongside us, providing a shield from the calamity that threatens to overwhelm us.
Psalm 3:3 says, “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head” (ESV). The Lord never sleeps nor slumbers. He is always awake, watching over us, interceding on our behalf. When you are having a wonderful day, Jesus is there, keeping you safe from harm. When you are having a miserable day, Jesus is there, keeping you safe from harm. It doesn’t matter where you are or where you are going, Jesus Christ will always be a Shield surrounding you, helping you along the way.
A couple of weeks ago, my dad and I were out working with our cattle. As I opened one of the gates, a swarm of wasps came out after me. Because I had never been stung before, I was extremely concerned as I felt a wasp sting my leg. I prayed that no others would sting me. At that moment, I know that the Lord placed a shield around me, keeping me from getting stung multiple times or getting stung on the face. I am grateful for His protection and His healing, as the sting did not cause an allergic reaction. On the same day, my dad was charged by one of our cows more than once. This particular cow had horns, which could have caused a serious injury. I prayed that my dad would not be harmed in any way. Once again, the Lord proved faithful and true, placing a shield around my dad, protecting him from the potential danger.
Sometimes, we get so busy with our daily activities that we do not even notice the hand of God working in our midst. A traffic delay could be saving you from an accident down the road. An unexpected phone call could keep you from slipping and falling on a piece of ice in your kitchen. Having to go back inside your house for a forgotten item could serve as a reminder to turn off the stove or unplug the curling iron before it causes fire damage to your home. You see, there are so many scenarios where God sees the possible outcomes before we could ever begin to process them all. He knows our future. That’s why we need to trust in His timing, because He knows what lies ahead.
As human beings, none of us are perfect. Our natural tendency is to call on the Lord more when we are in distress than when everything is going well. When we are sitting on cloud nine, we tend to believe we are doing great on our own, like a captain of a ship enjoying smooth sailing on a sunny day. But just like the captain should be thanking God for the calm seas, we need to remember to thank Him for His blessings every day. In the good times and the bad times, we need to praise Him for His endless love and mercy. We need to trust that He will work everything out for our good, no matter what is going on around us (see Romans 8:28).
God’s Word says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). The Bible doesn’t say to acknowledge the Lord on Sunday and don’t worry about it the rest of the week. It says “in ALL your ways acknowledge him” (emphasis added). We need to completely depend on Jesus Christ, making sure that everything we say and do revolves around His plan for our life.
Jesus Christ is our Shield. He is the glory and the lifter of our head. Jesus wants us to live an abundant life. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to lean on Him. By doing so, we can ensure that our focus is not on the trials and tribulations of this world, but on the One who loves us more than we could ever imagine. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, we’ll find that the difficult times are more bearable and the joyful times are even more delightful. Let us praise the King of Kings and Lord of Lords for all that He has done in our lives! From dawn until dusk and all through the night, the Lord is watching over you, keeping you safe. Jesus Christ is our constant Friend, our Lord and Savior, and our Shield.
In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer
When was the last time you heard someone say, “I can’t?” Or perhaps you recently heard someone remark, “That’s impossible!” Many times in life, we find ourselves faced with challenges that truly seem insurmountable. Our family may have unreasonable expectations of our abilities, our boss may ask too much of us, and our friends may become disappointed if we cannot be there for them every single time they need us. God may often give us a task that seems impossible. But it is in these moments when we feel so unqualified, so insignificant, that God reminds us that He makes all things possible. In our own strength, we can do nothing, but with God’s strength, we can do anything! By putting our faith in God, all things become possible!
One of the prime examples of the impossible becoming possible comes from the book of I Samuel. A young man by the name of David finds himself in the midst of a battle. Completely unprepared for the encounter, he is pitted against the largest man on the opposing side: Goliath. Now Goliath is a giant, both literally and figuratively. The Bible calls him a “champion” and says that he stood at a height of 9’9” or 3 meters (I Samuel 17:4). Compare Goliath to David, the youngest son of Jesse, one of Saul’s servants. David does not spend time on the battlefield, but spends most of his time tending his father’s sheep. When David says that he will fight the Philistine, even King Saul himself is doubtful of David’s ability to conquer the giant. Saul said, “‘You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth’” (I Samuel 17:33). Even so, David has something that Goliath does not have: faith in God.
David knows that God will protect him from all harm, just as He promises in His Word. He said, “‘The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine’” (I Samuel 17:37). David is offered Saul’s very own tunic, as well as a bronze helmet, coat of armor, and sword. But he wasn’t used to all of that heavy equipment. Instead, he goes down to the stream and collects five smooth stones. He didn’t use special armor. He wasn’t carrying any high-tech weapons. He did not even wear a helmet. He had a slingshot, some small stones, and faith that could move mountains. Most importantly, he knew that the true and living God would be his shield in battle.
David wasn’t acting out of naivety or inexperience. He was acting on faith. Goliath approaches him with his shield bearer going before him, taunting David as he sees this inexperienced warrior bringing “sticks” into the battle (I Samuel 17:43). But David was not deterred by Goliath’s unfavorable commentary. David simply states, “‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied’” (I Samuel 17:45). David had faith that God would carry out His plan. Although he may have been scared or worried, he remained faithful, confidently relying on God’s power to bring him to victory.
What if we had such great faith? How would our lives be different if we had faith that a few small stones would slay a giant standing in our way? David did not have any superpowers. He was just an ordinary human being whom God used to accomplish something truly extraordinary. Through faith, David became a high ranking officer in Saul’s army. But his greatest accomplishment was that he obeyed God and God honored him because of his faithfulness.
God will do the same for you. Whatever you are going through, God is looking out for you. He wants to be your shield in battle, your rock that you can stand on, your shelter from the storm. Have faith that God will make all things possible. Matthew 17:20 says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Have faith that God will be with you, every step of the way. With faith in God, the impossible becomes possible!
In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer