He WIll Shield You

Psalm 23:1 THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.

 
He feeds us, guides us and also shields us. To shield means to serve as a protection or act as a defense. Our Shepherd prevents us from being harmed or damaged. He keeps us safe and secure. I love what David said in Psalms 3:1-3  1LORD, HOW they are increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.  2Many are saying of me, There is no help for him in God. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 3But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. Not only did David recognize that God was his defense, but he had complete and utter trust that the Lord would come through for him every time. He said, you are my shield- my glory and the lifter of my head. Read it another way- O Lord you are my protection and defense, my success and my triumph, the reason I can confidently stand with my head held high in the midst of adversity!

Throughout the Old Testament you can read the account of David’s  life. Not only was he a mighty king, but he was also a man of war. He was constantly out fighting the Amalakites, or the Hittites, or some other Ites. Many times he was in real jeopardy of not only losing his own life, but the lives of his family and his people. However, if you read things from his perspective in the Psalms you will see that no matter how pressed he was, no matter what kind of trouble he was in, he always relied upon the Lord to be his shield and strength. Even if he starts off, “Many are they who rise up against me” he ends with “But you, O Lord, art a shield for me.” He trusted in the promises of God that he would be protected even in the midst of peril and danger.

The pressures and trials that we experience in this day and time are quite different than the ones faced by David. Instead of worrying that some neighboring king is going to come and kidnap our children, we may have to deal with our kids being sick. Instead of being concerned that an army is going to come and loot our houses taking all of our possessions, we may have the worry of wondering how we are going to make ends meet. Instead of being anxious that we are going to be captured and enslaved by an enemy, we may have to struggle to stay free in our thoughts and minds. In spite of the challenges we face, we too can use the words of King David found in Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him.

Take The Gloves Off

‘ve interrupted our study of the Lord’s prayer for this very important inspiration. Let’s just be honest, if you look at the things going on around us in the natural, you might be feeling a little discouraged. The economy is wacked, financial institutions are going bankrupt, unemployment is up, gas is $4 a gallon, the stock market doesn’t look too great etc, etc, etc….. Guess what? I’ve looked around me, and decided I don’t really care!  Let me explain myself. I do care that people I know and love are struggling to pay their bills.  I do care that I have dear friends who have lost everything they have. I do care that we have members in our church who are wondering what to do next. What I don’t care about is what it looks like. My Bible tells me in Philippians 4:19 19And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. My Bible tells me in Matthew 14 that Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fish and fed thousands of people, not only supplying their immediate need, but leaving them with an abundance of twelve basketfuls left over. My Bible tells me that the lilies of the field and the birds of the air take no thought of what they will wear and what they will eat, our Heavenly Father has taken care of them and doesn’t He love us more?  My Bible tells me in Genesis 22 that He is Jehovah Jireh- The Lord who provides. My Bible tells me a lot, but your Bible tells you the exact same things. The question is, will you choose to believe what the Word says, or will you continue to look at the circumstances of life to tell you what you believe?
In Ephesians 6:12-13 it says  12For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.  13Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]. Once we understand that our fight is not in the natural it’s in the spirit we will be better equipped to stand our ground. Sometimes we have to fight with everything we have, but the great news is-He always causes us to triumph. I am going to include an excerpt from an email I received yesterday from one of our ministry directors- We can’t control the economy or the powers that be but we can control the prayers, worship and intercession that goes up. The devil can’t stop that although he is desperately trying. It feels like the devil has us in a chokehold anxiously awaiting us to “Tapout” but I am tired of living without. I have been blessed , I have overcome, I am an heir to the throne of God , I am a royal priesthood , I am a peculiar people , I am more than a conqueror, I could go on but you get the picture. I am fighter, I am a warrior for the kingdom of God and if we are in the ring with the devil I say lets ” take the gloves off ” he is not going to fight fair so why should we? Let’s encourage each other thru this time. Let’s fight with one hand and build with the other. Nehemiah did it so can we. Now is not a time to hide but to rise up and fight. I know it is not easy but we still have to believe in the promise of God. He is our source. God is faithful and he has proven faithful. The fight is on don’t “Tapout” God is about to give us a second wind. Take the gloves off and stand your ground.
I would like to invite you to join us next week, beginning Sunday, September 21 at the International Miracle Center Church in Daytona Beach, as we wage war on lack. We will be meeting nightly at 7:00pm. If you can’t be there in person you can still be a part via our webcast at imcchurch.org. Keep standing strong. You are more than a conqueror!