God's Protection

(Message by Pastor Phillip Joseph. Exercise faith and experience God's Protection... Happy Reading!)

"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).

Psalm 91 is a Psalm of encouragement in living under God’s protection; under His shelter and shadow; under His mighty hand. Today I want to share of how God protects us completely, in our whole being of spirit, soul and body. Praise God if you are ‘fit as a fiddle’ in your body; but what about your spirit and your soul? Are you being destroyed in your spirit? Are you depressed in your soul?

1 Peter 1: 4, 5 says: ‘…you, who are kept by the power of God through faith…’

From this verse, we see, there are two parts to God’s protection:
1. He protects us by His power
2. God’s power operates through our faith.

In other words, exercise faith to experience God’s protection.

So, within God’s great family, there is a ‘spiritual’ hedge around us! Remember, the story of Job; how Satan argues with God: ‘Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side?’ (Job 1:10). In a similar way, we too are hedged all around with God’s powerful protection as children of faith. Satan can’t touch us without His knowledge and God has promised not to test us beyond our ability.

We too can learn from Job, of how to exercise faith even in the midst of dire circumstances; calamity after calamity surrounded Job. He lost his possessions and his children in a single day. Yet he looked up in faith – ‘The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord’ (Job 1:21). Then Job lost his health and had ‘miserable’ friends for company…yet he says: ‘Though He (God) slay me yet will I trust Him.’ (Job 13:15).

Or we can look to Jesus who declares: ‘…BUT, with God all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:26). We too can learn that in any impossible situation there is always a ‘BUT’ exercise of faith. So we declare: ‘BUT with God all things are possible.’ I do not know how I am going to get out of debt…BUT with God all things are possible. I do not know how I am going to do this or that…BUT with God all things are possible.

1. Protection from the evil one (protection in the spirit)

Isaiah 35:8-10 says: ‘A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; it shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return…’

2 Thessalonians 3:3 says: But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

In Luke 10:19 Jesus says: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

We can take up our stand: Putting on the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, and the shoes of the gospel of peace; take up the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God in our hearts and in our mouths…

The power of God protects us but is operational only through our own faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. So we can learn to be like Paul; take away our eyes from everything that distracts us and FIX our eyes on Jesus, the Author, Perfector / Finisher / Rewarder of our faith…

The faith that we are talking here is not positive thinking…no it is not just a feeling; No it is also not just ‘hoping for the best’… God’s power in protecting us is based on rock-ribbed knowledge of God and His goodness. We declare, ‘I know that I know, that with men this is impossible; BUT… with God all things are possible.’

‘Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water…’ (Isaiah 35: 6, 7)

2. Protection from the evil work (protection of the soul)

2 Timothy 4:18: ‘And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom…’

Paul writes these words as a prisoner in Rome, under trial, and fully aware that the end of trial may lead to his death. At that moment, looking for strength, he found close friends and aides – even those in the ministry, desert him. For in v16, he writes: At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.

Paul must have been quite aware of how he was surrounded by believers and awe-struck followers of Jesus Christ, during his ministry. Yet, they all desert him during his trial. But, Paul continues in v17: 'BUT the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.’

Yes! The Lord protects and the Lord delivers…we can take our stand and the Lord stands with us. So we can boldly confess like Paul, even in difficult circumstances: ‘We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…’ (2 Timothy 4:18).

Or be like the Psalmist and encourage ourselves. Talk to our own soul. ‘Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.’ (Psalm 42:5).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation… (2 Corinthians 1: 4, 5)

Are you facing a ‘trial’ in your life? Trust God. In our troubled soul, we shall know His peace; in our suffering we will know His comfort; and in our sorrow His joy. Therefore, you can begin to praise Him…for you shall go out with joy and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. (Isaiah 55:12)

Or is it just a thorn in the flesh you are experiencing? Commit it to God. God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you”. And if you are having a difficulty with a troublesome neighbor, or a difficult person in the work-place, and you expect that God bring a change and remove these people… you may find God’s answer the same…”My grace is sufficient for you”.

The victorious Christian life is not just a ‘good feeling’ of having it all my way … it is based on the solid foundation of God’s word. So in prison cell Paul writes, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always and again (in case you didn’t get it the first time) I say, Rejoice!’

3. Protection from the wicked (protection in the body)

Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. (Proverbs 3:25, 26).

Take courage, for the Lord is our tower, our fortress, our refuge, our deliverer… Surely He shall delver you from the snare of the fowler…You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day… He will give His angels charge over me, to keep me in all my ways…

Jesus was on a journey by boat… Suddenly a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He {Jesus} was on the stern, asleep on a pillow. (Mark 4:37). We too can find rest in God, in our physical being, even in the midst of upheaval all around! We can meditate on God’s word that says that not a bone shall be broken, that God is going guard ALL our ways; that He will guard our going out and our coming in; that His rod and staff, they comfort us; that a thosand may fall at our right hand and ten thousand at the left, but it shall not harm us.

Last Sunday, we did hear the testimony of how God protected a family from this church in the midst of one of the worst train disaster in India; they were travelling by the same train; more than 100 dead and several others injured. But God protected them by His power.
Everyday, we can live under His covering. What a privilege we have to experience God’s wonderful protection over our spirit, soul and body! Nobody is able to pluck us out of His hand. God is faithful… He will perform His word. Exercise your faith and experience God’s protecting power...

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5: 23, 24)

Yes, it’s not just for today and tomorrow, but our protection is till the time when Jesus comes. We must continue in faith in God and in His complete protection, according to His word everyday of our life. What a wonderful privilege! So, we glad exercise our faith to experience God’s protection for us and those around us. May the God of peace grant you His peace. Amen.