A Cardboard Shield
As I was dressing the boys for Halloween, I was concentrating on the objects of the armor of God in Ephesians 6:14-17, not the depth of their meaning.
Now my boys are fathers. I no longer create their Halloween costumes. I’m the gramma applauding the creativity of our sons and their wives as they dress their kids for Halloween.
The very next verse in Ephesians 6 exhorts, “Pray … at all times … be persistent in your prayers …” Ephesians 6:18. Praying is my Gramma role.
Praying sometimes exposes anxiety.
Our second grand is in the throes of a college decision. Several institutions are courting her. Her decision is close. I’m ramping up my prayers.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11
I’m encouraged…
This scripture is my anchor. It comforts.
God is sun — Sun provides light and can clarify direction.
God is a shield — A protector.
God bestows favor and honor — Good gifts.
God gives good — I breathe easier. And…
I’m struggling…
Despite the truth of Psalm 84:11, despite my prayers for many months, anxiety is close to the surface. Where is my faith?
I’m exposed…
Hebrews 4:12 tells me that the word of God is living, active, and discerning. It discerned my anxiety, tangling me in a web of fear.
My focus was clouded. It rested on a specific place, not on God’s character. OUCH!
God led me on a journey…
I needed understanding about the truth of God’s shields.
When I dressed the boys in the armor that long-ago Halloween, the shield I cut from cardboard provided zero protection. It was small. It necessitated the carrier to be aware at all times. It was dependent on human effort. As in the case of Goliath, the narrative recorded in 1 Samuel about his short-lived battle with David shows that Goliath’s shield-bearer, who went before him, needed to be aware. That shield-bearer failed.
God’s shield is not dependent on human ability…
God’s shield is not made of cardboard or even metal.
God’s shield does not rely on the person wielding it.
The word shield appears 60-70 times in the Bible, mostly in the Old Testament.
Genesis 15:1 is its first occurrence. God is speaking to Abram and says, I am your shield. In this context, God is promising that He is the fulfiller of His covenant, His promise to Abram. Being a shield is part of God’s character.
Ephesians 6:16 describes the shield as the shield of faith. God, my shield, was realized in my salvation. As in other places, II Samuel 22:36 and Psalm 18:35 both speak of the shield of salvation, of faith.
Rock, fortress, refuge, deliverer, and stronghold are all descriptors of God’s shield. I am most awed by the words of Psalm 3:3:
But you, O LORD, are a shield about me.
God’s shield is all around me! God’s love and protection encircle me. This is my new memory verse. This is my new anchor. I’m not responsible for holding the shield.
David, who spoke those words, is remembering hard times. And he is recalling God’s deliverance; God was his shield. Those memories gripped his life, and he could sleep.
Psalm 3:5.
I’m brought to my knees…
In repentance. God, forgive my anxiety.
God, forgive my small cardboard picture.
In worship. God, You are my shield.
God, You are the source of my salvation.
God, You are my trustworthy refuge.
I can sleep.
I’m human…
I forget. Anxiety creeps back. I remember, my accurate shield picture lets me sleep.
But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
Psalm 3:3
PRAYER
Father, in all those anxiety-producing unknowns of life, will You remind me that You are the shield that is all around me. It’s Your character to protect. Amen.
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Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.
