SPIRITUAL PROTECTION
God gives us spiritual protection (vs. 4) “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” God is our protector.
In 2003, on my sixtieth birthday, I had six-way bypass surgery. I had a minor heart attack and was having chest discomfort. The tests showed conclusively that I had 95% blockage in six arteries that fed oxygen-rich blood to my heart. As I went into surgery that morning a quoted the 23rd Psalm.
I focused my thoughts on verse 4. I repeated it over and over in my mind “I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” If I didn’t make it, then I would be in eternity seeing my Lord face to face.
If I survived, “I would continue to live in this world and I would keep on loving God and working for His glory and not mine.” Either way, I would be the winner. But God’s great grace gave me more time to serve Him.
When I came out of the anesthetic after six hours of surgery it was like being born again. God was not through with me yet. There was still work to be done. 2 Corinthians 4:6-10 explains clearly that there will be hard times. Yes, tuff times, but God will protect us. Life here on earth will be a struggle for all of us; believers and unbelievers.
God said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus as well as the life of Jesus. The memory of the death of Christ helps us to remember to display the life of Jesus. His life is revealed in our actions and words. May the words of our mouths and meditations of my heart be always acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and redeemer (Psalm 19:14).
We are protected solely by the grace of God.
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