Saturday, August 24, 2013
Genesis 15:1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."
THE LORD GOD OUR SHIELD
Through faith in Christ, Abram's Lord is our Lord ... and our Shield. He is our Shield from attacks without and within. He is our Shield in the face of all that would assault faith and life -- from threats to bodily welfare, from anxieties that attack heart and soul, even our faith.
The Lord God himself is our Shield because He Himself became our great Reward -- the One promised above all, the Savior from sin and death. "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the LORD" (Luke 2:11).
The LORD God Himself was the greatest blessing promised Abraham and us. In Christ, every believer is safe and secure, now and forever. Just as Jesus' promise gave Abram peace within when his heart was anxious, even so, Jesus, who came as promised gives us heart-peace. His forgiveness is our guarantee of God's blessing -- no matter what the outward circumstance, no matter what inner turmoil might threaten.
Abram was given the promise renewed and found comfort, peace and strength. Let us use the peace of God which is ours in Christ to ward off every temptation and to turn aside every anxiety that would attack us in heart and mind. The peace of God in Christ is our shield. It is able to protect us from anxiety far better than any thought process we could ever come up with.
This is what the apostle Paul is talking about in Philippians 4:7:
The peace of God, which far surpasses the human mind [in doing this],
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
