After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram:
I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. –Genesis
15:1 (KJV)
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in
him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with
my song will I praise him. –Psalm 28:7 (KJV)
I have never done any mountain climbing, but I am
fascinated with Mount Everest. Every year an average of 150 climbers travel to
Nepal to tackle this mountain, the tallest on our planet, with the full
knowledge they may not make it back home. On average, five die in the attempt. A large number
of people have died in the pursuit of climbing Everest and their bodies
rest there to this day. Even if one survives the climb, there
are multiple opportunities for serious injury. I read about a
man who made it to the summit and wanted to take a few pictures.
This is understandable as you would not have a view like that every
day. He removed his gloves for only a minute or two to take the
pictures, but this proved a costly mistake. The ensuing frostbite
resulted in the amputation of most of his fingers later on. Removing
the protective shield of his gloves was not a wise decision.
The Word of God speaks of God being a shield to those
that trust in Him. The Lord appeared to Abraham of the Old Testament
and promised to be a shield to Him. The psalmist spoke of God
being his shield and how he would rejoice over the Lord’s help in
his life. We too have the promise of the Lord being with us at
all times and through all circumstances. God’s promise to us
is that we do not have to face the trials of life alone, for He will
guide, empower, and shield us.
This process of shielding us does not mean the absence
of problems and difficulties. The implication for us is we have
the Lord to shield us during the trials we face. We will still
face the challenges life brings our way, yet we have the Lord acting
as a shield of spiritual power going before us. Without the spiritual
shield God brings we become vulnerable to attack from the dark forces
of the world. Moreover, we are left to confront our troubles in
our own strength, which leaves us shaken and discouraged. With
God’s help, acting as our shield, we have the power to walk forward
in faith rather than fear.
As I have sought to emphasize many times, fear holds
us back, but faith moves us forward. Through faith in God all
the challenges we face can be overcome. As the Bible says in Philippians
4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
The emphasis here is fully on Christ and His power working in us.
I thank the Lord daily for His patience and grace, for He understands
we are frail and flawed people, prone to want to remove our spiritual
protection and try it alone. This is the human condition against which we struggle every day.
Keep the shield of faith before you today.
Allow God to be your shield as you face the challenges of life.
Do not be afraid, for we serve a risen Savior who has overcome death
and hell on our behalf. Walk forward in confident faith.
God bless you today.
