The God Guard

In the spirit of transparency….I’m a bit scary. Ok, so I am actually scary scary. I don’t do scary movies. Not a fan of scary shows. As badly as I want to watch Lovecraft, I probably never will. You will NEVER find me in anybody’s haunted house or serious horror film. There are movies that I watched as a child that I have yet to watch again as a whole adult. Why? Because…they…scaaarrreddd meeeeeeee!! Furthermore, because I am who I am, when I do feel fear, I feel it completely. I feel it strongly. In the spirit of dramatics, I don’t know if I’m even capable of being a little scared anymore; I’m either fine or petrified. So imagine the joy, the comfort, the peace I felt when I was reading 1 Samuel 2 and realized….I have nothing to fear.

In 1 Samuel 2, we find Hannah’s prayer after the birth of Samuel, the child she desperately prayed for. While speaking of the strength of God and His capability to completely turn things around, she says “He will guard the feet of His saints…” What…what does that mean? Well, across various versions of the Bible, this verse simply means that at all times, God protects us. He looks on us. He preserves us. He covers us in everything we do. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn’t make it to where I am because of my strength, my power, my degrees, or my capabilities; I made it because He guarded me. I have all that I have because He guarded me. I survived allllll that I have survived, because through my pain, through my storms, through my confusion, through my grief….He guarded me. When I was right, He guarded me. When I was doing things I had no business doing, He guarded me. When I wanted to give up, He guarded me. When I felt like I was being attacked on all sides….He guarded me. In my fear, He guarded me. In my strength, He guarded me. God has guarded me from dangers seen and unseen. Only He knows how many things could’ve gotten to me, but didn’t….because He guarded me. That guard, that protection, that covering has carried you & me through soooooo many things, and it will not fail us now. 

When I think about the God Guard, my mind goes to Psalm 23: “yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil” Why? Not because I hold a title. Not because I have a special seat in the sanctuary or a special parking lot. Not because of my occupation. Not because I’m rich. Not because I have a degree. Not because of my age. I don’t fear evil because God is with me. I don’t fear evil because His rod & staff comfort me. Random fact: the “rod” here is the rod of Christ’s strength; it’s the rod of the Word. The “staff” is the staff of the promises of God. Both of those have one thing in common: His word. Soooo God guards us….because He said so. He guards us because His promises are on us. Daily, He guards you because He made you a promise. God takes His word and His promises very seriously. He’s a God of completion; anything He does or says, He does so fully and completely. In the all of time & eternity, His word has never come back to Him void. He’s never spoken a thing that did not conform to what He said. He’s never had a promise that He did not fulfill….and He’s not about to start with the promise He made to you.

Y’all, we live in scary times. There’s a whole pandemic outside. People are dying, from covid-19 and everything else, daily. Death seems to be more common than living these days. Thousands have lost their jobs. Hate and division have polarized us. Many things and people we’ve put our trust in have given way to a storm that has shaken the entire world. Yet and still…..you have a promise from God. You have a God that loves you too much to leave you unprotected. You have a God that guards every step you take. So even in these scary times, we have to stand firm in who God is. We have to know that He’s for us. We have to know that even when we appear to be alone, God guards us, and the barrier of the blood of Jesus cannot be penetrated. 
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As you go through you week, and the rest of your days, know that the God of heaven and earth closely guards you. Know that He’s sent angels to protect you. Know that He’s made you a promise, and that you will live to see it manifest….because He said so. He’s been guarding you all of your life, and He will not stop now. The Creator guards you, sweetie; so the creation can’t get you. Walk confidently. Walk boldly. Walk with security. He’s guarding you. 

Background music: The Blessing x Elevation Worship and No Reason to Fear x JJ Hairston

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