S33P2 – The fruit of trust in God: protection
Psa. 91:3-4
For He will save you from the trap of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you and completely protect you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a wall.
When a new bald eagle hatches, it is helpless. It cannot see, and it cannot feed itself. The eaglet is dependent on the mother for everything necessary to survive. When the sun is beating down on it, the mother’s wings give it shade. When it is hungry, the mother brings it food. When it is cold, the mother keeps it warm. She does all of this to make sure that her new baby survives those things that might threaten its life. Try taking an eaglet from its nest, and you will discover exactly how protective a mother bald eagle is. Although adult eagles typically do not serve as prey for any other predators, eaglets are much more vulnerable. An owl or a raccoon may spot an eagle’s nest with new eaglets and think that it is in for a treat. It is for the mother to guard against such a threat. This is similar to how God protects us when we are vulnerable to the enemy.
There is one thing we do not have in common with the eaglet. Our vulnerability is not for only a short time. Our enemy continues to set traps for us and try to ruin us for as long as we live in this order of things. His threat is constant. The traps he sets can be familiar yet varied. Just like a natural father who would protect his son from a trap he knows lies ahead, our heavenly Father does the same. Our advantage is that God sees and knows all. Although we may be met with surprises, He is not. None of this is new to him. He is well aware of the devil’s schemes and tactics, and He has provided in Scripture guidance for us in this regard. Beyond that, He is here daily to guide us and protect us from the snares set before us. The enemy is a predator who seeks to devour us as his prey, but our Father is our protector who shields us under his wings. He is our cover and our deliverer.
As long as we are imperfect humans, we are vulnerable to the enemy. No matter how much we know about spiritual warfare and how much scripture we have retained, we do not provide our own protection. We still must rely on God to keep us safe from the enemy’s traps. Our guidance comes from him. Our wisdom comes from him. Our knowledge comes from him. He is not only before us and behind us, but He is over us as well. He is a protective shelter when that is what we need, and these are all guaranteed. God is faithful in his protection of us without fail. As surely as the sun rises and sets, our Father keeps us safe. Father, thank You for your protection in this battle, and keep us attentive to your guidance and direction.