It’s time to go straight to one of God’s most powerful promises: SAFETY & PROTECTION when we are in trouble and need help; when we are sad and feeling hopeless; and when we are wracked with fear and need assurance that it’s going to be ok.
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” Psalm 84:11
I call this God’s PROTECTION PROMISE. It’s simple to grasp, easy to understand, but difficult to pull off in the midst of fear and fret. But God’s PROTECTION PROMISE does not mean the journey will proceed without fear and fretting. But it does mean God will be with us (Isaiah 43:5).
The world will not stop producing events and circumstances that drive us into fear and doubt. And it’s easy for believers to dread what “might happen.” That is not the attitude God wants us to take. In fact, he promises us his protection so we do not have to live in that kind of fear.
This promise came alive for me recently at sun-drenched Doheny beach in Southern California when I spotted a father playing nearby with his kids who were begging him to bury them in the sand. I watched intently as he started tossing the warm sand on the startled youngsters.
As the sand started to crawl toward their chins, a look of fear was apparent on their now-concerned faces. Dad reassured them repeatedly and told them to relax and enjoy the experience. They calmed down and stayed with it to the end when dad freed them from their temporary enclosure. Once released, they jumped up and screamed in exhilarated bursts.
I immediately connected what had just happened with how we all need to trust our Heavenly Father, especially when it seems as if the world’s walls are closing in on us. That is the essence of God’s PROTECTION PROMISE.
It’s the same thing for us when life’s sand begins to rise up toward our head, even though it’s pretty tough to believe that the ending will be safe. We just need to trust that God will stop it in time.
I ask God to grab my attention when the sand of life starts to rise up toward my chin. To give me the wisdom and strength to immediately call on his PROTECTION PROMISE.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
When was the last time you cried out for God’s PROTECTION PROMISE? Is there any sand coming up on you right now?
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2
