God's Protection
What’s Coming Up Behind You?
Have you ever been driving and keeping your eyes on the road before you when suddenly a car came up too fast behind you? If so, do you remember the startling feeling? Do you remember hoping the driver would slow down rather than rear-end you?
Often, we speak of the Lord leading us, but Isaiah 52:12 also speaks of the Lord as watching out for our backs: “…the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”
In this verse, God is referred to as a rear guard when the Israelites escaped Egyptian bondage. God is also our rear guard. He watches over us, leads us, and not until heaven will we know how many times He’s protected us from encroaching evil and danger. Just as it was important for Moses and the Israelites to pay attention to and follow God’s instructions, it’s important for us to pay attention and follow His instructions. How do His warnings and instructions come to us? Through the Bible and the Holy Spirit’s promptings. How well are we paying attention with a grateful heart?
Lord, thank You for being our REAR GUARD and for all the ways You watch over us and protect us. Help us be ever sensitive to Your promptings. We love You so much.
In addition to being our rear guard, the Lord is also our fortress. Debbie discusses this further in her blog post, “A Good Place to Be.” To read the full post, click HERE.
A Good Place to Be
When you think of fortresses in the Bible, what comes to mind? In the past, I often had images of David scaling a hill and finding protection in the clefts as Saul pursued him. In addition, however, fortresses were thick-walled cities such as Jerusalem, referred to in 2 Samuel 5:9 as the stronghold in which David lived.
Fortresses infer the need for protection from enemies. Is there such a need today? Yes. Whether the enemy we face is a person, nation, or the devil and spiritual forces of wickedness, we have a fortress in God as David did. What can we learn from him regarding the Lord being a fortress?
First, we must have confidence in the Lord and place our trust in Him when standing against the enemy. We must say as David did, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!” Psalm 91:1
We must call upon the Lord. “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies,” 2 Samuel 22:4.
We must go to the Lord, our fortress, confident He will lead and guide us. “For You are my rock and my fortress; for Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me,” Psalm 31:3. God is mindful that we live in dangerous times on enemy ground. The question is, are we mindful that God is our fortress? Are we staying “in” Him?
Lord God, You are our FORTRESS. Thank You that we can run to You, we can live in You, and be saved from our enemies.
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If you’re not able to make the April study and would like to purchase the Bible study to do on your own, you can purchase it HERE. The study includes free accompanying videos and podcasts, which you can access HERE.