Weekend, May 20, 2023
Our Shield and Defense
For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love. (Psalm 5:12 NLT)
When the fiery arrows of Hell come flying our way, it’s nice to have a shield. And the Bible promises that God will be our shield.
The Lord said to Abram (or Abraham), “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great” (Genesis 15:1 NLT). Or, as the New King James Version puts it, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
And David sang to the Lord, “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection” (2 Samuel 22:31 NLT).
David also wrote, “For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love” (Psalm 5:12 NLT). When David penned the words of Psalm 5, he was an aged man who had lost his throne. The hearts of the people were turned against him, and his son Absalom was on the rise.
However, through a quick chain of events, David returned to his throne and Absalom ended up hanging by his hair in a tree as he fled for his life. God turned the situation around and put David back where he belonged. And it all happened through prayer as David cast his cares on the Lord.
The New Testament records a similar situation. As Acts chapter 12 opens, things were looking bleak for the first-century church. Herod the king had put James to death. Peter was imprisoned and facing certain death. And the church was in hiding.
So, what did they do? They diligently prayed, and everything turned around. As a result, by the time the chapter closes, Herod is dead, Peter is free, and the Word of God is triumphing.
Let’s follow the examples of David and the early church. Let’s pray boldly and watch what God will do.
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