God is a shield above me
saving the upright of heart.
Psalm 7:11
Gone are the days of King Arthur with its knights gathering at the round table with armor and shields to protect society and make it a better, safer place. Now negotiations between nations happen in closed rooms without armor and shields, but with words and promises. It doesn't always feel as safe for us outside of the room, but we learn to trust that our leaders, our protectors, are working in our best interest. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they fail. Not so, with God.
God will never fail us. God always works to protect us and seeks to make this world a better safer place. God is our shield, if we choose to trust in God. But, trust is difficult when we find ourselves experiencing pain, confusion, fear. We jump to the conclusion that we have been abandoned by God because if God were with us, protecting us, bad things wouldn't happen. Yet, they do.
Go back to the shield of King Arthur. If we were to hold a knight's shield in our hands, we would not be holding a smooth, unmarked piece of metal. We would be holding a dented, scratched, crooked device that has protected the knight from blows of another. This is the shield of the spiritual life. God does not stop us from experiencing the pain and dents of this world, but God does lessen the shock by standing with us.
When we invite God into our lives, when we develop an intimate relationship with our Creator, we will arm ourselves with a protection that is beyond our understanding. We will come to see that though pain and suffering are a part of our lives, we will find the strength, courage, hope, joy, and love to live through it and be better for it. We will find a community that surrounds us in doubt and sadness and celebrates with us our triumphs and joys. We will realize that God will never abandon us, nor fail us.
Prayer: God you are our shield. Help us to embrace our relationship with you and trust that you know what is best for us. Help us to be open to receiving your guidance and grace so that when the hurts of this world are present, we may not only bear the blows, but become witnesses to others of your power and love.
God will never fail us. God always works to protect us and seeks to make this world a better safer place. God is our shield, if we choose to trust in God. But, trust is difficult when we find ourselves experiencing pain, confusion, fear. We jump to the conclusion that we have been abandoned by God because if God were with us, protecting us, bad things wouldn't happen. Yet, they do.
Go back to the shield of King Arthur. If we were to hold a knight's shield in our hands, we would not be holding a smooth, unmarked piece of metal. We would be holding a dented, scratched, crooked device that has protected the knight from blows of another. This is the shield of the spiritual life. God does not stop us from experiencing the pain and dents of this world, but God does lessen the shock by standing with us.
When we invite God into our lives, when we develop an intimate relationship with our Creator, we will arm ourselves with a protection that is beyond our understanding. We will come to see that though pain and suffering are a part of our lives, we will find the strength, courage, hope, joy, and love to live through it and be better for it. We will find a community that surrounds us in doubt and sadness and celebrates with us our triumphs and joys. We will realize that God will never abandon us, nor fail us.
Prayer: God you are our shield. Help us to embrace our relationship with you and trust that you know what is best for us. Help us to be open to receiving your guidance and grace so that when the hurts of this world are present, we may not only bear the blows, but become witnesses to others of your power and love.
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