If you live very long, there will be multiple times in life that you are afraid. Fear is an emotion that can paralyze a person to the depths of despair. As Christians, this should not happen, yet Christians seem to suffer from fear just as much as nonbelievers. However, that is not the way it is supposed to be. Our Almighty God is fully capable of protecting us and giving us the confidence to move forward in life. The Bible is full of verses about His protection for His children. So why do we live under a veil of fear? Why are we so vulnerable to the attacks of Satan? It is probably because we say He is the King of our lives, that He has first place, but we tend to climb back upon the throne that is rightfully His until we have a desperate need. God becomes a tool to use when we have a problem. We have allowed the world to influence us, and we have adopted that self-exalting spirit.
If you are to claim Jesus as your protector, you must first allow Him to be the Lord of your life. The word Lord means master; thus, He has control. Your desires and your actions yield to His authority. In Philippians 2:9-11, Paul teaches us that God exalted Him and gave Him the name Lord. It is a name that indicates a position in reference to everything on earth. While you may not make Him the Lord of your life, He is Lord over everything.
Philippians 2:9-11 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
A passage of scripture that has helped me often to denounce fear and promote trust is Psalms 91:1-5. I well remember the night that I felt anxious and fearful and found these verses. It was late at night, and I was home alone. This was long before Google took charge of my mode searches for knowledge, so I opened my Bible to the concordance in the back. It directed me to Psalms 91. There it was, my protector, and my deliverer.
Psalm 91:1-5 “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 thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;”
In verse 1 He is my refuge. This is a place we run to for protection. When people leave their homeland for protection, we call them refugees. They are fleeing their past and their enemies for protection. He is also my fortress. In the Hebrew language, this is a military term that means a castle or stronghold, a place of defense and protection against large-scale attacks.
“My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” By placing my faith in Him, totally committing my life to Him, and trusting Him I am protected. He will deliver me and cover me with His wings just as a mother bird covers her babies for protection. For us to be covered we must be close to Him. Baby birds are often destroyed by their prey because they come out from under their mother’s wings of protection. The key to our protection lies in the beginning of this Psalm. In verse one we must dwell “
Just because we are under God’s care, it does not stop the storms from happening around us. But it does provide incredible strength and comfort. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” It is when we dwell that we find all we need in Him. This is where we feel safe and secure. This is understanding that we serve a sovereign God. A God who is in control. We do not always understand what is happening in our lives, but when we trust in His sovereignty we don’t need to. He is working everything out for what is best for us. Romans 8:28 teaches us that “all things work together for our good.” In verse 29, what is good for us is to be conformed to the image of Jesus. God is molding us and changing us to be like His dear Son. He is getting us ready for the Kingdom! When we understand this biblical principle, we can move through life with our confidence secure in Him. Our trials and fears will not paralyze us they will strengthen us as we climb under God’s arms and trust Him.
Romans 8:28-29 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
As we live here in this sin-tainted world, there will be many painful situations that seem unbearable. It may be physical, mental, or emotional but in each situation, God is there, and He will be as near as we want Him to be. It is our choice, we can trust Him and draw near to Him, or we can be miserable and frantic as we try to do things our way. Jesus, God the Son is our protector.
II Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.”
