Several weeks ago a few of my neighbours received a letter that they had been dreading. It said you "need to be shielded from Covid-19 for a minimum of 12 weeks." Most of them had already been isolating, and in many ways life would continue much the same but, as is often the case, fear, anxiety and worry took over.
Looking to the news for reassurance did little to help so I turned to Scripture, which overflows with words of comfort. After all said and done the expression "shielding" is no new concept to God because He's being doing it since time began. The Psalmist encourages us when he 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.’ God will shield us in every situation. What a promise!
Our protection is linked with what our heart has faith in. If our heart trusts in God and not the world, then we will be protected by His shield. That doesn’t mean we don’t have to follow government measures, but we can be assured that when our heart is faithful to Him we will have divine protection. What’s more, in a world full of fear, a heart full of trust that can leap for joy is something the world will crave.
Our very own planet Earth depends on a shield to survive. Our own lives depend on this great unseen shield. The Earth is protected by an ozone layer, also called the Ozone Shield, which absorbs most of the Ultra Violet rays from the sun and shields us from harmful UV. Without this shield, life on earth as we know it would cease to exist. So in a very real sense we already live with a shield that God has put in place to protect us from things that could destroy us.
Just as we need and could not live without this ozone shield, so we cannot live without the shield that God offers us. The Bible tells us that the enemy, Satan, goes around like a roaring lion, looking to destroy each one of us, but God offers to be our shield. As He said to Abram, He says to us: 'I AM YOUR SHIELD' if only you place your faith and trust in ME.
God's shield is on-going and never ending. It is not a shield that turns off and on at will. It is not here today and gone tomorrow. It is available at all times and in all circumstances. It is a perpetual shield. It is available throughout life, in the midst of challenges and hurdles. It remains constant regardless whether we are facing 'deep waters', 'rivers of difficulty' or 'the fire of oppression'. Throughout life it remains and even when we pass through the valley of the shadow of death it is as real as at any other time.
He is the rock of refuge that never fails. He is a shield to each one who will trust in Him. This shield does not just cover one area of our lives. The problems with shields are that they only protect us on one front. Our Heavenly Shield will never fail us no matter what side the problems may come from. HE is a shield that goes right around us - even on our blind side. Just like with the ozone shield around the earth - where there is no alternative - so it is with God, He is our only shield our only alternative. Every other thing that we think is a shield will fail us, but He will remain faithful.
"Great is Thy faithfulness!" O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
"Great is Thy faithfulness, " Lord, unto me!
Written by a Guest Blogger
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