Has God Ever Shielded You In Life?

Gen. 15:1 - After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great." 

• Have You Ever Been In A Fight?

Abram had just finished a fight with some tough guys who had kidnapped his nephew, Lot. Abe was outnumbered but he wanted to save his nephew.
 
I can remember my first fight like it was yesterday. It was before school started and we were on the playground awaiting the bell to sound to be permitted to go inside the building.
 
I was crossing the monkey bars when the school bully got on from the opposite side. You know the side that didn't have a long line of kids waiting to go across.
 
Halfway across we met and he told me to, "Get out of his way".  I said, "Go to the end of the line like the rest of us". He started to say something and I wrapped my legs around his waist and started to squeeze. He let go of the bars and now I had him swinging below me and I unwrapped my legs and he hit the ground with a thud.
 
The bully started to cry and I finished going across the monkey bars. He slowly got up off the ground. He was crying and went home. He told his mom some story because once we were in our homerooms my name came across the loudspeaker to report to the office. 

• Some Moments In Life Are Scary

Now I will admit I was scared while walking to the office, but I kept telling myself, "I didn't do anything wrong."
 
When I walked into the office, the school bully and his mom were sitting there and I remember her screaming at him, "This is the little s*** that beat you? Then she smacked him on the back of his head.
 
I went in and told the Principal my side of the story and then went back to my class.
 
I would like to say that it ended there and that was it, but the next morning before school started on the playground there was the bully.
 
He told me, "His mom told him that he had to kick my a**." The next thing I knew he started swinging both of his arms like a windmill. I took one step to my left and hit him between the eyes with my right hand. He went down and started crying again, only this time there was blood all over his face.
 
Yes, my name came over the loudspeaker again that morning and yes, I had to make the long walk to the Principal's office. I had to explain what happened on the playground again.
 
I didn't get in trouble and was told to go back to my class. The principal then said something I could never understand, He said, "I don't want to see you back in here again. Do you understand?"

I kept saying to myself, "I didn't want to be in there in the first place, but neither did I want to get beat up and pushed around by the school bully either." 

• The Purpose Of This Story

I thought it was about God being the Shield. Therein is my point.
 
If you are like most guys, we have grown up fighting and protecting ourselves and it becomes quite a challenge to allow God to be our Shield.
 
God tells Abram that He will be his Shield. Abram had just been victorious over the kings that had kidnapped his nephew. One has to wonder did Abe believe God had helped him or that he accomplished this victory on his own.

Melchizedek informs Abram that God is the One who delivered his enemies into his hands (Gen.14:20).
 
God will be our Shield but we have to realize this fact. We have to let God be the Shield He has promised us that He will be.
 
We must believe like Abram that God was his shield and protector. 
 
I can almost guarantee you that you will encounter something in life that even you will need to have God be your Shield.
 
Why not grow accustomed to it now before that day arrives and you are unfamiliar with how to bow your knee to your King the one who has promised to be your Shield.

• One Final Thought 

Maybe God was my Shield on that playground many years ago and I failed to realize it then.
  
Think About This:

How many times has God already been our shield and we didn't even realize it?

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word