Images of God: Shield
Today’s scripture: Psalm 18:2 (NRSV) (The Message)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two.
My thoughts (Steve Adams):
There have been many times in my life that I didn’t think I needed a spiritual piece of armor like a shield. Now I realize I was only being naive to think such a thing. Whether I’m sitting on a beach in Florida, enjoying the most carefree day of my life, or lying in a hospital bed fighting for my life, I need the armor, all of it!
And why does God provide us armor? The reason is love! God wants to protect us from physical, spiritual and emotional harm. Time after time God protects us from great danger, often without our knowledge. I picture this as being like our bodies’ immune systems. Thousands of times they shield us from potentially fatal germs and bacteria, and we don’t even realize it. Since God shields us in much the same way, it just goes to show how much sense it makes to thank God for every safe and healthy day we experience.
But I think God expects us to do our part, too! It often takes us working in harmony with God to effectively shield our lives from evil. It’s a partnership. Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” God doesn’t force in on us; we put it on. A few verses later Paul writes, “. . . take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” So, this shield of faith is something I need to take myself and learn to use skillfully. That means it will take lots of practice and training in order to become effective in operating it.
When I was a child, my mother would take me to the doctor’s office to get vaccinations in order to shield me from all kinds of diseases. And, they always worked. But what about those who lose the battle in this life? What about those who fall prey to a fatal illness, or murder, or starvation, or genocide (like in Darfur)? What happened to our God, our shield in instances like these?
The one thing that helps me understand these circumstances is the story of our Lord Jesus Christ. After being beaten, humiliated, and crucified, it appeared that God had not provided His beloved son a shield. However, three days later, when he was resurrected unto eternal life, it was clear that he had, indeed, been shielded in an extraordinary way by his Heavenly Father!
The same holds true for us today. Many of us at church lost a wonderful friend in Alan Lowe a few years ago, but Alan was shielded with his Lord’s protection, and we’ll see him again someday at the big party in Heaven.
Thought for the day: Take some time to reflect on how God has shielded you or a loved one from pain and trouble. Then, give thanks and praise to our great God!
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. Use the item above as a starting point, or consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.