"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the Shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver Me from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover Me with his feathers, and under His wings shalt I trust: His truth shall be My shield and buckler. I shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at My side, and ten thousand at My right hand; but it shall not come nigh Me."
Psalm 91:1-7
Recently, a young pastor, speaking to a group of Chaplaincy students, told a story regarding his 5-year old son. As a Chaplain, pastor, and former soldier, he and his wife decided that they would shield their young son from all the violence and violent images readily available to children, for as long as humanly possible. So, in an effort to do so, they continuously screen everything he watches. Recently, while in a store making a purchase, he realized that there were movie previews playing in the background of the store. When he looked at his son, he noticed that his son had placed his head on the counter, shielding his eyes from the sudden onslaught of violence shown on the screen. He calmly said, “Son, what’s wrong?” His son, still shielding his eyes, quietly said, “Daddy, I’m scared.” Picking up his son and cradling him close to his chest; he said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Daddy is here. And, Daddy wouldn't let anything happen to you.”
As he told the story, I could “see” the entire incident as it unfolded in my head; and, I thought about God’s promise to shield His children when we are scared, under siege, broken, or fearful. Today’s passage, taken from the beginning verses of Psalm 91, reminds us that God has given us the promise of His protection. It outlines His promise to protect us from snares, pestilence, dark terrors, or daily projectiles. And, He does not stop there! He throws in His protection against those things that hide within the crevices of darkness; and, even those things / people that come for us in the fullness of day. He tells us that, thousands may fall from the peril around us, but it will not come near us.
Like our Heavenly Father, the father in our story protected his son from the onslaught of a perceived danger. He shielded him from the terror that was imagined in his son's young mind. –Now, consider your Heavenly Father as He shields you against the “thing” that has you scared, under siege, broken, or fearful. Consider being under the shadow of His wings, away from any of the things that have taken residence in your life, keeping you feeling trapped and afraid, with your head bowed and eyes shielded.
If you can understand just how much the father in this story wanted to keep his son protected, then consider just how much more our Heavenly Father will protect you! L.
**Now, it is your turn to write your thoughts regarding today’s verse in your journal.
Study Reference: Psalm 91
From: "Your Thoughts:“Protected.”" In The Master’s Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
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