Daily devotional, July 08, 2024 The umbrella
"No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord." Isaiah 54:17
We Asians depend a lot on our umbrellas. We use it for rainy days, and we use it even on sunny days. Most women have it in their bags when using public transportation and they use it walking around in any type of weather. Westerners are usually surprised to see this because they only use their rain gear when it rains.
Followers of Jesus are much like Asians who count on their umbrellas for protection everyday. As Christians, we rely on God’s protection day in and day out to keep us away from accidents, troubles, illnesses, bad people, or any kind of evil. And we really should because there is no other great power in this life that could give us that level of protection.
"If God is for us, who can beagainst us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies."
Romans 8:31-33
From the time of the world’s inception up until today, God continues to blanket us with His protective love. This protection comes from rules that will allow us to not suffer from the natural consequences of sinning and from incurring God’s wrath.
Adam and Eve for instance was banished from the Garden of Eden after breaking the only rule God gave them. The Israelites on the other hand sojourned for forty years in the wilderness, were held captive in a foreign land, and underwent a lot of difficult times because of their stubborness, idolatry, refusal to follow God’s commands, and sliding back into sin.
As present-day followers of Jesus, we are more than blessed to have The Bible to guide us about the Lord’s commands as well as the teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
By surrendering to the lordship of the Messiah, stepping away from sins, and endeavoring to follow the Lord’s commands and teachings, and living a life of worship, we get to be protected from troubles.
For example, not having any other god besides the Lord will protect us from the natural consequences of idolatry. The new “gods” of today are the “three P’s” power, prestige, and possessions. When we make any of these P’s our God by pursuing it all the time, and making it our source of identity and protection, we are likely to suffer anxiety, get traumatized, suffer depression, and lose our sense of identity when we lose any or all of them.
"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5
When we become covetous, and keep on looking at what other people have, we tend to spend beyond our means or overwork ourselves to the point of losing the chance to make meaningful memories with our loved ones. We also fall into debt or even get into deep financial ruin.
When we engage into extra marital affairs, we not only lose our peace of mind, we also tend to suffer shame which is a big emotional burden not just for us but even for our family.
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
James 4:7
Dishonoring our parents will meantime strain one of the most important relationships God has blessed us with. Disobedience to them also removes another layer of God’s protection that he blesses us with through the wisdom of our moms and dads.
When we give false testimony against our neighbor AKA lying about them, spreading malicious rumors and gossip about them, we not only strain relationships, we also ruin our own reputation because we will be known as an untrustworthy and deceitful person. On the other hand, when we kill or steal, we do not only get jailed, we will also suffer guilt and shame for the rest of our lives.
So you see ,when we follow God’s commands, we do not only get to honor God, we get to be protected with His divine love.
"For He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone."
Psalm 91:11-12
And while our Savior Himself said that following Him will not guarantee that we will never experience pain and suffering, we will at least have the peace of mind that the Lord isbyt our side as we face inevitable challenges in our lives.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
So as we enjoy God’s protection by following His commands and teachings, let us hold on to His promise to never leave us and help us endure troubles, until the day that He will come back to take us home with Him.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." Isaiah 43:2
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Romans 8:31-39 and Isaiah 43:1-7 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Whom do you rely on for protection?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you very much for providing us your unfailing love and protection. I love you above all things, so please help me follow your teachings and commands so that I could enjoy your divine protection, and holy presence. Amen.
