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Day 133: The Shield of Faith


July 26, 2020


If it is raining outside, most people use an umbrella to stay dry.  When it’s cold, we put on a coat.  If we are removing something from the oven, we grab an oven mitt.  When there is a pandemic, we wear a mask.  We do these things to protect our physical selves.  They are automatic and considered common sense.  But are we protecting our spiritual and emotional selves?  As we leap out into the world and the busyness of our day, are we equipping ourselves with a parachute of faith?  We look both ways before we cross the street, but are we looking upward and inward to be sure that we are proceeding with our life according to God’s plan?  We check Google maps before we head out to a new destination, but are we reading our Bible before we navigate a new challenge?  Many people have a fire extinguisher in their kitchen and know how to use it.  Each day when Satan aims his fiery arrows at us to wreck our day, do we remember that we have hope and trust in God as our protective shield to “put out the fire” or do we run out screaming and let the fire destroy everything?  It is certainly easy to get caught up in the ups and downs of our lives and forget that we are not riding this roller coaster alone.  God is in control.  We just have to remember to buckle up and “keep our arms and legs inside the vehicle” at all times.  He will protect and guide us if we remember to ask, to listen and to trust.  Psalm 32:8 (TLB) says:  “I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress.”  Psalm 143:8 (NIV) says:  “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”  Ephesians 6:16-17 (NIV) provides us with these instructions:  “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  Carry the shield of faith!  Smile and be joyful!


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