Beside a vehicle with a brand-new windshield, not many Christians see God as a protective shield. While the apostle Paul introduces the shield of faith as a vital piece of the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-20, King David compared the Lord to an impenetrable shield in the passage below. Like the shade of a tree on a heat summer day, God is a place of refuge to cool off until you regain your strength.
The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him, Psalm 28:7.
As the leader of the Army of Israel, David was familiar with weapons of war. According to one Old Testament historian, kings would lead their countries off to battle each spring, 2 Samuel 11:1. Since Israel is 1516 feet above sea level, armies would have to wait until for snow to melt before the roads they traveled on were passable. While David became famous for killing the Philistines prized giant with 5 stones and a sling shot, he understood the need for the shield of faith.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand [the side not carrying a shield], Psalm 121:5.
Another Psalmist points out that soldiers would carry their shields with their left hands. Since only 10 percent of human beings are left hand dominant, the right hand was used to carry and maneuver swords. During a break in the action with two armies of equal strength, soldiers would burrow in the sand or soil by hiding under their shield. Subsequently, the Psalmist makes an analogy of what God is like. The Lord keeps us alive in battle as well as serving as a protective shade from the sun. May these two Psalms help you see God in a new and powerful way.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 