God is Protective
Deuteronomy 23:14 - "For the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you" (NIV).
Psalm 18:2 - "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 18:16-19 - "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me" (NIV).
Psalm 32:7 - "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance" (NIV).
Psalm 62:8 - "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge" (NIV).
2 Thessalonians 3:3 - "But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one" (NIV).
When I was about 8 years old, my family went for a holiday at the beach. On this particular day, the ocean was a bit choppy. But, we still went swimming. You can't pass up a day at the ocean! Suddenly, the wind shifted and the waves grew quite large. I was being pushed quickly toward a rocky reef, and I could not swim away. I remember my father throwing off his glasses and charging into the water to rescue me. There was a fierce determination to save me. And he did. The natural instinct of a father is to protect his children at all costs. God the Father races to protect His children. Even though sin and sinful choices in our world bring great pain, God continues to show His protection. "He works all things for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28). God calls Himself our refuge quite often in Scripture. We also have a responsibility to run into our refuge for safety. When we walk in independence from God, we are left unprotected and vulnerable.
For More Study
Thoughts and Questions for Application
Memorization
Psalm 32:7 - "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance" (NIV).
Psalm 18:2 - "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 18:16-19 - "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me" (NIV).
Psalm 32:7 - "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance" (NIV).
Psalm 62:8 - "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge" (NIV).
2 Thessalonians 3:3 - "But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one" (NIV).
When I was about 8 years old, my family went for a holiday at the beach. On this particular day, the ocean was a bit choppy. But, we still went swimming. You can't pass up a day at the ocean! Suddenly, the wind shifted and the waves grew quite large. I was being pushed quickly toward a rocky reef, and I could not swim away. I remember my father throwing off his glasses and charging into the water to rescue me. There was a fierce determination to save me. And he did. The natural instinct of a father is to protect his children at all costs. God the Father races to protect His children. Even though sin and sinful choices in our world bring great pain, God continues to show His protection. "He works all things for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28). God calls Himself our refuge quite often in Scripture. We also have a responsibility to run into our refuge for safety. When we walk in independence from God, we are left unprotected and vulnerable.
For More Study
- Psalm 18
- Daniel 3
- Mark 16:15-18
- Acts 12:1-18; 16:16-40
Thoughts and Questions for Application
- Do you believe that the Father would "reach down from on high and take hold of you?" Or do you question this? If so, why?
- Do you have a story of how God protected you? Remember and thank Him.
- How have you shown God's character of protection to others?
Memorization
Psalm 32:7 - "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance" (NIV).
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