APRIL 29

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

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Ephesians 6:16

“above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

Psalm 18:2

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:35

“You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great.”

Psalm 3:3

“But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.”

Psalm 5:12

“For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.”

Psalm 18:30

“As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”

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Our book for this month  is called “100 NAMES OF GOD”  written by Christopher D. Hudson.  Each day we’ll take one Hebrew name for God as given in the Bible to study and relate to.

JEHOVAH – MAGEN

SHIELD

Psalm 33:20

“We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.”

You don’t need a degree from West Point to know the fiercest, best-trained soldiers are useless if they’re not protected.  Defenseless troops quickly become casualties of war.  This has always been true.  In Bible times, while a sword was valuable, a spear helpful, and a slingshot deadly, a soldier’s shield was his most important weapon.

Shortly after God called Abraham, He promised to be JEHOVAH – MAGEN  to him, saying in Genesis 15:1:  “Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward.”    As the father of God’s chosen nation, Abraham did not have the luxury of numbers.  He did not live in a city of ten thousand people.  No walls surrounded his encampment.  No fortresses kept him safe at night.  His only guarantee of safety was the God who promised to be his SHIELD.  But it was always enough!

Throughout history, God has made it clear that He acts as a shield for His people.  (As with the other benefits from Him, this is a promise that’s available only to His people who have been born again and have the promise of salvation, because they have repented of their sins, and are living for Him in obedience to Him and His Word, as their Lord, because they know that He suffered and died to pay the price for their sins, so that they can live with Him forever because of what He has done for them.)

 While we tend to focus primarily on physical safety, God wants to shield us in other ways too:  relationally, emotionally, occupationally, financially, and more.  He seeks to protect us not just from thieves, thugs, and physical dangers, but from spiritual forces we cannot see.

“God as our shield” is a mighty idea, one that becomes even more precious when we couple it with God’s other attributes.  Because God is unchanging, for example, we know that the shield of protection around Abraham is the same shield that surrounds us.  Because God is all-powerful, we know none of the “flaming arrows of the evil one”  can penetrate His protection.

Because God is ever-present, we know the divine shield is always there.  Because God is omniscient (all-knowing), He is aware of every danger, and He understands the best ways to protect us. 

When have you felt God being a shield for you?

PRAYER

JEHIVAH – MAGEN, I realize You protect me in ways I don’t even understand.  Please help me to rely on You as my shield.  Let me walk in the confidence such protection gives me.  Amen

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