March 15, 2022
Good morning Yahweh. How are you today? Thank you for a new day in you. Thank you for being such a wonderful, magnificent, all powerful, amazing, loving, close God. Thank you for desiring the best for us, for wanting to spend time with me, for desiring me. For dying to save me.
You called me by name out of darkness and into your life, so that I could see you. So that I can get to know you for myself – not based on what the pastor said or what my parents said, but based on what you say. Thank you for these moments where you reveal yourself (or parts thereof) to me. I am grateful and inspired by who You are.Â
There is no one else like you under the sun, above the sun. You are a good good father who never leaves us to walk this life on our own. You are beside us, before us, behind us – making ahead of protection around this so that nothing that is not part of your plan for us would harm us.
Psalm 32:7 – You are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyous songs of salvation.Â
Okay, first up. Joyous songs of salvation – protects us? For real? The times when you called us, “Come let us sing,” it’s not just about praises to you. It isn’t just about worshipping you. It’s also a protection for us. It hides us in your praise, it guards our minds from the attacks of the devil. It keeps our mind from anxious thoughts and from worrying and despair. You inhabit (love that word) our praise and when that praise is ever around us, ever present, your presence is even more present (yep, I said it).Â
When you belong to me, I cannot be seen. Instead you are and this actually goes two ways. Those who mean to harm cannot see me to do so but also they can see you – they can see who you are and hopefully desire that same presence in their life. Hopefully see you and desire you for themselves.Â
Protection is Not Passive
 What I love is that to protect is not passive. You’re not just standing there, arms folded, half asleep. You are keeping watch, examining all that is around. You are keeping us and for this I give you praise.
Genesis 15:1 – Later the Lord spoke his word to Abram in a vision. He said, “Abram, don’t be afraid. I am your shield. Your reward will be very great.”
Your promises are sure. Just before you told Abraham that his not yet seen descendants would be slaves for 400 years, you said, “I am your shield.” Even in times of oppression you will protect. Honestly it still amazes me that you were the one that sent the Israelites to Egypt to be oppressed. It wasn’t based on anything wrong they did, but part of your plan to bring glory to your name. But you are still a shield even in such times. Many times when we are fighting up in a situation thinking it’s Satan trying something, but it’s actually you doing something. And instead of fighting up we should rest under your promise: that you are our shield. You will protect us. And bonus! The reward for trusting you is great.
Protect: To cover or shield from exposure, injury, damage or destruction.
This speaks to different levels of protection. But there is the assurance, that even if there is exposure, injury, damage: what happens is under his guidance for our good (can honestly seem counter-intuitive) and would not result in our eternal destruction. So often we think in terms of only what happens on this earth or that the protection is only about the physical here and now. But his primary reason for protecting us is about saving our soul. Even if our body here is destroyed but our soul saved from destruction.
Matthew 10:28 – Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.
The body isn’t the most important thing, the soul is. And above all, that is what Yahweh seeks to protect. So don’t be afraid even if we come to bodily harm, ensure that the soul is protected under his shield.Â
Who got this?!! My Jesus!!
