God's Protection

Psalm 18:30-36

30 God’s way is perfect.

All the Lord’s promises prove true.

He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

31 For who is God except the Lord?

Who but our God is a solid rock?

32 God arms me with strength,

and he makes my way perfect.

33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,

enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

34 He trains my hands for battle;

he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.

35 You have given me your shield of victory.

Your right hand supports me;

your help has made me great.

36 You have made a wide path for my feet

to keep them from slipping.

New Living Translation

I am grateful for the many blessings of God. His grace, mercy, and love are amazing. I am in awe of the lengths He went through to ensure not only my salvation, but also my cleansing.

But on a practical basis, the one thing I crave most from God is protection. I have lived most of my life feeling vulnerable and afraid. As a young child, I faced far too many evil situations without a human protector. I grew up doubting that God really protects me. After all, if He was protecting me, it appears He did not do a very good job.

The problem was in my understanding of protection. I have defined it as being kept from all negative situations. As a parent, I have done my best to make sure that nothing bad happens to my children. Of course, I am human, and can't control the universe. God can. So why didn't He stop bad things from happening to me, when I was so young and innocent?

I am not sure I am smart enough to answer this question. If I could, I would be God; I am not. He alone knows why He allows things to happen. He knows all, and owes me no explanation. But still, this leaves me with a desperate need for security, for a protection I know I can always count on.

I am not a child any more. Those situations that appeared unbearable really were not. I did survive. It has taken years of therapy and healing, but the end result is that I am stronger, wiser, and more compassionate than I would have been if I had not lived through such trauma.

And as an adult, I can see that God was protecting me, and still is. His protection does not mean preventing pain. Instead, it is a promise that these things that hurt so much will not destroy me.

In this Psalm, we are given a simple outline of how God protects us.

He gives us strength to endure what we must endure (vs. 32). He won't let us go through more than we can cope with, through His strength. Of course, if we attempt to deal with our crisis situations in our own strength, we are in serious trouble. But if we turn to Him for help, He will always get us through.

He guides our steps, even when the ground is uneven and we are unsure (vs. 33). We often think that if we follow God, everything will work out nicely. But that is not always the case - at least not at first. Moses obeyed God and told Pharaoh to let the Israelites go free. Instead, Pharaoh oppressed the people even more. Paul obeyed the Spirit and went to Jerusalem. He was then thrown into a Roman prison. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness, where He fasted and prayed for 40 days. After that act of obedience, He faced a terrible trial of temptation.

Obeying God doesn't always mean happiness, prosperity and luxury. Sometimes it brings pain and persecution. And in the midst of that we can be tempted to believe that either we made a mistake in interpreting God's will, or God has abandoned us.

The truth is, we are in a spiritual war, and following God puts us on the front lines. In the end, though, God gets us through. It was true for Moses - the Israelites were freed from slavery, and they plundered Egypt in the process. It was true for Paul - though he was in prison, he was full of joy and peace, and he continued to spread the gospel all over the globe. And it was true for Jesus - He resisted the temptation to sin, and lived a sinless life. He eventually faced an even greater trial - crucifixion. He endured this, and in the process provided the means of salvation for all who will believe.

We are told in Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

If we seek His will, with the intent of obeying no matter what, He will guide us. If the path is a difficult one, He will walk it with us, and make sure we make it to then end.

Another aspect of God's protection is that everything we face in life is a preparation for what is to come (vs. 34). There is nothing wasted. Without my previous experience, I wouldn’t have the strength to deal with the challenges I have to deal with now. And what I am going through now will help prepare me for what is to come. It is like a training program for an athlete.

And these experiences not only help me, they help other people. Because of what I have gone through, I can offer compassion, love, support, and hope to others who are hurting.

And finally, God promises that if we will trust Him and endure, we will win the victory (vs. 35). He will support us, and in the end we will see amazing things come out of the deepest struggles.