Does something new from God’s Word ever hit you like a ton of bricks? I pray it does. Revelation from heaven enlightens the mind to greater truth and inspires the heart to greater faith.
This morning something hit me hard. Like a lightning bolt from heaven, a new level of understanding flooded my being. Granted, my revelation today may seem like yesterday’s news to you. But we all grasp truth at different levels in different ways at different times. Sometimes the simplest truths take years to digest. So perhaps one or two of you will benefit from my latest “ah ha” moment, even if it’s no more than a refreshing reminder.
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard about God’s protective presence I’d be a wealthy woman. How often I hear someone quote Jeremiah 29:11 in reassurance to another: God has “plans to prosper you and not to harm you.” But deep inside, I hid an unanswered question: Why does harm so often come? I believe the answer to this quandary lies in our misunderstanding of God’s promise.
In both the Old and New Testaments, we read passages assuring us that God will be with us and never leave us; that He will guard our comings and goings, protect us from our enemies, and deliver us from destruction. As David wrote, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalms 18:2).
So what are we to make of the harm that comes our way? Doesn’t God promise to shelter us? The new level of understanding I received today came wrapped in that little word: “us”.
Because we are physical beings, we tend to think of ourselves clothed in the flesh. But our “us” is what makes you, you, and me, me. Just as God is the great “I am”, this writer is a simple “she is”. The “is” part of me refers to the life part of me – not simply the material life, but the spirit life that transcends this current existence. “Am” and “is” are forms of the verb “be”; accordingly, the deepest part of our existence is our inner being , or our soul. This spiritual self of every believer is what God promises to protect and guard forever.
Yes there are specific, conditional and situational promises in the Bible wherein God protects His people physically. But His overriding promise of protection for believers in Jesus Christ refers to our inner beings, our true selves.
God is faithful, and He cannot act in opposition to His character. His promises are true and His words can be trusted. Most assuredly, God will never leave me. He will walk with my “spirit me” from this life right into the next one. He will guard my “spirit me” in my comings and goings. He will deliver my “spirit me” from destruction. He will protect my “spirit me” from my enemies. Regardless of what happens to my “physical me”, my “real me” is safe in Him, always.
“The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
“He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.” Psalms 91:4
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