Live in the South, Georgia or Texas. Try Key West. Leave your car outside in the sun, and after only a few years, the paint will begin to fade and chip.
We need the sun to survive, but in the worst times, we need protection from the power of its rays. There are times that even what’s good for us can bring us harm.
That’s when Christ reaches down and covers us with his protecting hand.
Let’s look at Moses. He was the great leader of a vast people. Yet, first he was a baby. Exodus 2:3 tells us of the protection he received from the reeds by the river.
“When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank.”
Without protection, Moses would never grow to become God’s right hand to deliver his people from the tyranny of Egypt. God covered Moses with his protection, and he grew into a great man that was used by God.
The Holy Spirit comes to protect us from sin. Galatians 5:16 tells us how.
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
We have a helper at our side, so that when we feel the pressure of our carnal selves, we won’t give in. Rather, we’ll be reminded that it’s God we emulate, and we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus. The Spirit will be our guardrail to keep us on the right path.
We protect our sanctity in our walk with Christ through our commitment to him. Read Paul’s words in Romans 12:2.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Christ warned us there would be those who would lead us astray. We must compare every teaching to the Word of God, and through the mind of Christ, we will become a shield of protection to those who walk at our side.
Isaiah 58:6-7 tells us how to protect our nation from the ravages of sin. We must cast aside wickedness, free the oppressed, and share our surplus with the hungry.
Isaiah 58:14 tells us what God will do for our nation.
“Then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of [my majesty], for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
This world is our home, and it provides us many good things. At the same time, its harshness can fade our paint and cause it to chip. Jesus is our awning, come to cover us with his protection and to keep us safe in him.
With Jesus as our guard and shield, we’ll continue to shine in him, magnificent and new in the light of his glory.
When we need protection from life, we need Jesus at our side.
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Code: FGO.H.14.15b.vp.esv