“But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.” Psalm 3:3
The Dictionary describes a shield as “a piece of metal or other material, carried to protect the front of the body when being attacked, or a person or thing that provides protection: to protect someone or something.”
David was a soldier. He knew the importance of a shield when battling an enemy army. When he went out to face Goliath, he did not have a physical shield. He depended upon the Lord to protect him, and he was not disappointed. Consider all the experiences he faced while fleeing from Saul, and then later from Absalom. He did not trust in his fighting ability or any armour he wore to protect Him. He trusted the Lord to be his shield and defender.
II Samuel 22:3 “The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.”
Psalm 18:35 “Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.”
We may not be fighting physical battles like David. There are voices in our world today by which the enemy would like to destroy our peace and trust in the Lord.
Paul describes the battles we fight in Ephesians 6:12. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
He admonishes us to put on the whole armour of God, which includes the shield: Ephesians 6:16 “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
Hiding God’s word in our hearts assures us that the Holy Spirit will always be our shield, protecting our body, soul, and spirit, against anything with which the enemy may attack us.
Thought For Today: We may not know what today holds for us, but we do know that we have a shield that will never fail us.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
