I watched her through the glass doors of the office. She had a look of determination on her face. Not exactly angry, but certainly not happy. It had been a miserable day since about 9:00 that morning. It was a stormy day with winds howling and blowing rain. It was the kind of rain that makes an umbrella useless. I watched as she literally jerked her jacket off. I wondered why, until I saw her place it over her child's head. She had come to the school to take her child home. I don't know who she was, but I know that her first priority was protecting her child. It didn't matter to her that she would get wet. Her child would be safe.
She never saw me watching. It wasn't necessary. I pictured God's protection as I watched the scene. Depending on the Bible translation, there are between 45 and 189 verses about God's protection.
Who is our protector?
Psalm 121:5
The Lord is your protector; the Lord is your shade right beside you.
Have you ever wanted shade? It is very hot where I live and when working outdoors we long for a bit of shade. It is not only comfortable, but reviving. It allows us to restore our energy and continue with our work.
Sometimes we get weary in the Lord's work. When we call upon His name, he will restore our energy and allow us to continue working for His kingdom.
At times there is no shade to comfort us, but our Heavenly Father is always standing by to give us the rest we need.
One of my children had asthma as a young child. Many were the nights I sat beside his bed and watched him breathe. I didn't fall asleep, out of fear that he would stop breathing. Our Heavenly Father doesn't sleep either. He watches over us as a parent watching a sick child.
Psalm 121:3 tells us God won’t let your foot slip. Your protector won’t fall asleep on the job. And again in Psalm 121:4 No! Israel’s protector never sleeps or rests!
Many have heard the story of the hen who protected her chicks when there was a fire in the barnyard. After the fire was contained, the farmer went out to dispose of the rubbish. He picked up the charred, lifeless hen and found all the chicks alive and unharmed. The mother hen had protected them with her wings, even unto death. That is the way God protects us when we call out to him.Psalm 17:8 Watch me with the very pupil of your eye! Hide me in the protection of your wings. And then in Deuteronomy 32:11 Like an eagle protecting its nest, hovering over its young, God spread out his wings, took hold of Israel, carried him on his back. The psalmist praised God for His protection. Psalm 63:7
because you’ve been a help to me and I shout for joy in the protection of your wings.
Can we trust Him?
The psalmist testified. Psalm 118:14
The Lord was my strength and protection: he was my saving help!
As women we look to our husbands for protection. Yet Abraham removed that protection from Sarah. Instead, he asked her to protect him by telling everyone that she was his sister. There was a very real threat of men being killed so rulers could take the wives. Rather than trust God, Abraham chose to put the responsibility on Sarah.
Genesis 20 tells one of the stories of Abraham's deception. Abraham tells Abimelech that Sarah is his sister. Sarah is taken to Abimelech's palace. Can you imagine what she was thinking? Did she lie awake thinking that at any minute the king would send for her, forcing her to be intimate with him? How did Abraham sleep that night? Did he lie awake worrying about his beautiful wife?
However, God protected Sarah. He prevented Abimelech from touching her. Then God came to him in a dream. Abimelech was told that Sarah was married and touching her would result in death. He pleaded for his life. The next day, he returned Sarah and rebuked Abraham for being deceptive. What would have happened to Sarah if God hadn't intervened?
From what does He protect us?
He protects us from our enemies. Psalm 143:9
Deliver me from my enemies, Lord! I seek protection from you.
God protects us from physical harm. Deuteronomy 32:10 God found Israel in a wild land— in a howling desert wasteland— he protected him, cared for him, watched over him with his very own eye.
Joshua 24:17
The Lord is our God. He is the one who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. He has done these mighty signs in our sight. He has protected us the whole way we’ve gone and in all the nations through which we’ve passed.
Further examples and discussion will be heard in class Sunday morning.
She never saw me watching. It wasn't necessary. I pictured God's protection as I watched the scene. Depending on the Bible translation, there are between 45 and 189 verses about God's protection.
Who is our protector?
Psalm 121:5
The Lord is your protector; the Lord is your shade right beside you.
Have you ever wanted shade? It is very hot where I live and when working outdoors we long for a bit of shade. It is not only comfortable, but reviving. It allows us to restore our energy and continue with our work.
Sometimes we get weary in the Lord's work. When we call upon His name, he will restore our energy and allow us to continue working for His kingdom.
At times there is no shade to comfort us, but our Heavenly Father is always standing by to give us the rest we need.
One of my children had asthma as a young child. Many were the nights I sat beside his bed and watched him breathe. I didn't fall asleep, out of fear that he would stop breathing. Our Heavenly Father doesn't sleep either. He watches over us as a parent watching a sick child.
Psalm 121:3 tells us God won’t let your foot slip. Your protector won’t fall asleep on the job. And again in Psalm 121:4 No! Israel’s protector never sleeps or rests!
Many have heard the story of the hen who protected her chicks when there was a fire in the barnyard. After the fire was contained, the farmer went out to dispose of the rubbish. He picked up the charred, lifeless hen and found all the chicks alive and unharmed. The mother hen had protected them with her wings, even unto death. That is the way God protects us when we call out to him.Psalm 17:8 Watch me with the very pupil of your eye! Hide me in the protection of your wings. And then in Deuteronomy 32:11 Like an eagle protecting its nest, hovering over its young, God spread out his wings, took hold of Israel, carried him on his back. The psalmist praised God for His protection. Psalm 63:7
because you’ve been a help to me and I shout for joy in the protection of your wings.
Can we trust Him?
The psalmist testified. Psalm 118:14
The Lord was my strength and protection: he was my saving help!
As women we look to our husbands for protection. Yet Abraham removed that protection from Sarah. Instead, he asked her to protect him by telling everyone that she was his sister. There was a very real threat of men being killed so rulers could take the wives. Rather than trust God, Abraham chose to put the responsibility on Sarah.
Genesis 20 tells one of the stories of Abraham's deception. Abraham tells Abimelech that Sarah is his sister. Sarah is taken to Abimelech's palace. Can you imagine what she was thinking? Did she lie awake thinking that at any minute the king would send for her, forcing her to be intimate with him? How did Abraham sleep that night? Did he lie awake worrying about his beautiful wife?
However, God protected Sarah. He prevented Abimelech from touching her. Then God came to him in a dream. Abimelech was told that Sarah was married and touching her would result in death. He pleaded for his life. The next day, he returned Sarah and rebuked Abraham for being deceptive. What would have happened to Sarah if God hadn't intervened?
From what does He protect us?
He protects us from our enemies. Psalm 143:9
Deliver me from my enemies, Lord! I seek protection from you.
God protects us from physical harm. Deuteronomy 32:10 God found Israel in a wild land— in a howling desert wasteland— he protected him, cared for him, watched over him with his very own eye.
Joshua 24:17
The Lord is our God. He is the one who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. He has done these mighty signs in our sight. He has protected us the whole way we’ve gone and in all the nations through which we’ve passed.
Further examples and discussion will be heard in class Sunday morning.
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