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How Has The Lord Protected You? (Part 1 of 2)
"I try not to get in fights so I won't need protection, and God can go and help someone else who really needs protection," says Taylor, age 9.
Avoiding fights will certainly make your life easier, Taylor, but we all need God's protection for other things.
Of course, it doesn't hurt to be prepared for a bully, says Tucker, 7: "The Lord has protected me by letting me learn tae kwon do, which means 'the way of the hand and the foot.'"
I suppose this could be called the Teddy Roosevelt approach to protection: "Speak softly and carry a big stick."
Trusting the Lord for protection doesn't mean we leave our doors unlocked or walk into dangerous neighborhoods at night. We live in a fallen world. Trusting God doesn't mean living naively or foolishly. We should take precautions, but no one can be so careful that he doesn't need divine protection.
Often, we need the Lord's protection from the unknown, says Timothy, 7: "When I was 4 years old, I thought there was a monster under the bed."
If we don't live by faith, the monsters of life in the form of imagined disasters will devour us. For many adults, the monsters have moved from under their beds into their heads. Have you ever played "What if?"
Our imaginations can drive us insane with fear and worry. Christians need to develop a faith swagger. This is a confidence in the Lord that lets us face life with boldness and daring. We're not fighting the battle alone.
"God has protected me when I was afraid, and I knew that God was watching me," says Brooke, 8. "Then, I was not afraid anymore because I had a feeling that God was protecting me."
The Psalmist wrote: "He who dwells 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 I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
Like a baby eagle under the protective shadow of its mother's wings, so is the Christian abiding in that secret place of God's love and protection. Danger may surround, but it can't touch the one who abides under the shadow of God's wings.
Sometimes, God uses his messengers to protect, says Kathryn, 10: "God has protected me with his angels. His angels are all around us. God is also like a big shield. He is surrounding us, and he is watching over us."
Guardian angels are more than a cute figure of speech. They are on-the-job messengers of God in a spiritual conflict that can only be described as total war in unseen realms. Of these angels, the Psalmist wrote, "For (God) shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11).
Taylor, 11, gives us some final insight and encouragement: "The Lord has protected me in many ways! He has protected my family also. He protects my family daily and nightly. My mom and I were protected when we almost got in an accident. And every day, I have millions of angels surrounding me! God loves each and every one of us. He hears our many prayers. He is never off duty!
"God would do anything for us. After all, he did send his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us. I need no shield of armor. God is my shield and my armor. That's all that matters to me."
Think about this: Even in the midst of danger, God wants us to live boldly with the confidence that he is more than capable of protecting us.
Memorize this truth: "For (God) shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11).
Ask this question: Are you resting in God's protection?
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Avoiding fights will certainly make your life easier, Taylor, but we all need God's protection for other things.
Of course, it doesn't hurt to be prepared for a bully, says Tucker, 7: "The Lord has protected me by letting me learn tae kwon do, which means 'the way of the hand and the foot.'"
I suppose this could be called the Teddy Roosevelt approach to protection: "Speak softly and carry a big stick."
Trusting the Lord for protection doesn't mean we leave our doors unlocked or walk into dangerous neighborhoods at night. We live in a fallen world. Trusting God doesn't mean living naively or foolishly. We should take precautions, but no one can be so careful that he doesn't need divine protection.
Often, we need the Lord's protection from the unknown, says Timothy, 7: "When I was 4 years old, I thought there was a monster under the bed."
If we don't live by faith, the monsters of life in the form of imagined disasters will devour us. For many adults, the monsters have moved from under their beds into their heads. Have you ever played "What if?"
Our imaginations can drive us insane with fear and worry. Christians need to develop a faith swagger. This is a confidence in the Lord that lets us face life with boldness and daring. We're not fighting the battle alone.
"God has protected me when I was afraid, and I knew that God was watching me," says Brooke, 8. "Then, I was not afraid anymore because I had a feeling that God was protecting me."
The Psalmist wrote: "He who dwells 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 I will trust" (Psalm 91:1-2).
Like a baby eagle under the protective shadow of its mother's wings, so is the Christian abiding in that secret place of God's love and protection. Danger may surround, but it can't touch the one who abides under the shadow of God's wings.
Sometimes, God uses his messengers to protect, says Kathryn, 10: "God has protected me with his angels. His angels are all around us. God is also like a big shield. He is surrounding us, and he is watching over us."
Guardian angels are more than a cute figure of speech. They are on-the-job messengers of God in a spiritual conflict that can only be described as total war in unseen realms. Of these angels, the Psalmist wrote, "For (God) shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11).
Taylor, 11, gives us some final insight and encouragement: "The Lord has protected me in many ways! He has protected my family also. He protects my family daily and nightly. My mom and I were protected when we almost got in an accident. And every day, I have millions of angels surrounding me! God loves each and every one of us. He hears our many prayers. He is never off duty!
"God would do anything for us. After all, he did send his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us. I need no shield of armor. God is my shield and my armor. That's all that matters to me."
Think about this: Even in the midst of danger, God wants us to live boldly with the confidence that he is more than capable of protecting us.
Memorize this truth: "For (God) shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11).
Ask this question: Are you resting in God's protection?
================
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COPYRIGHT 2020 CAREY KINSOLVING
COPYRIGHT 2020 CAREY KINSOLVING
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