Tag: protection

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John John 17

Prayed for in the midst of a hostile world

John

If there’s one thing I see in this passage, it’s the tender care that Jesus has for us as he prays for us.

And he does pray for us.

So often we pray for others. But Jesus, as our high priest, prays for us. And one thing he prays for is our protection.

Yes, I know Jesus in this passage was specifically praying for his disciples, but I do believe that he prays the same for us even now.

Because just as Jesus sent his disciples out into a hostile world, he sends us out. And just as his disciples faced spiritual opposition, so do we.

So Jesus prayed (and prays),

Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me…

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. (John 17:11, 14–15)

There may be times you face spiritual attack. There may be times when people hate you because of the gospel. There may be times you will be persecuted.

But because Jesus is praying for us, the Father puts definite limits on what Satan can do to us, and we will never be given more than we can bear.

So whatever you are going through, no matter how hard it is, stand firm.

Stand in hope that God is still with you. And stand in the knowledge that you will come through whatever you’re going through in victory. Because Jesus is praying for you.

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Proverbs

Learning from the small and weak

It’s very easy for us to look down on people or things that appear small or weak.

But Agur was not one who would make that mistake.  He looked at four small creatures, and from them found wisdom.

From the ant, he learned the wisdom to plan ahead.  To work hard storing up food in the summer, to make sure they would have enough for the lean times in the winter.

So often, people don’t have the wisdom to do this.  They spend all that they have on the pleasures of the here and now, and when trouble strikes, whether it’s a bad economy, a sudden layoff, or whatever it may be, they find themselves in deep trouble.

From the coney, he learned the need to find a place of safety because he realized his own weaknesses.

A coney can do little to protect itself from its enemies, and so it hides out in the crags where its enemies can’t get it.

In the same way, we too are weak.  On our own, we can’t fight the enemy of our souls.

And so we hide ourselves in the “rock that is higher than I (Psalm 61:2),” and make God our refuge and strength.

In His strength, not only can we survive the attacks of the enemy, we can overcome.

From the locust, he learned the importance of organization and unity.  By operating this way, they are capable of doing great damage.

In the same way, the body of Christ can do great damage to the kingdom of hell if we will just organize and walk together in unity.

Unlike the locust, however, we do have a King, and it is under his orders that we march.

From the lizard, he learned cautiousness and elusiveness.  Though it is small enough to be captured by a hand, it is cautious and elusive enough to avoid being caught.

In the same way, we should be careful to avoid the hand of the devil in all his schemes against us.

Peter put it this way,

Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  (1 Peter 5:8)

The thing to remember is Satan doesn’t play fair.  And it’s especially in your times of weakness that he’ll attack.  But we also need to be aware in our times of “strength.”

For it’s in our time of strength that we can become complacent, and unwary.  (Just think about David in 2 Samuel 11).

So let us pray as Jesus commanded us,

Deliver us from the evil one.  (Matthew 6:13)

How about you?  Are you as wise as these creatures?

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Psalms

Our Shepherd

Sheep and shepherd Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is probably the most famous psalm in the book.  Probably because of the intimacy it displays between God and us.

In other psalms, we see God as king.  As judge.  As avenger.  As warrior.  But in this passage, we seem him as a shepherd.

It has been pointed out that being called sheep is not exactly a compliment.  Sheep are among the stupidest animals in the world.  They are completely lost without their shepherd.

And that’s what we are. We’d like to think of ourselves as smart and better than others.  That we don’t need God.  But without God, our lives will go to pieces.  We are hopelessly lost without him.

David starts by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd.”

Not just “our shepherd.”  But, “my shepherd.”

In other words, though we may be one of many sheep, God cares intimately for us.  And as in the story of the lost sheep, when one of us strays from him, he cares enough to pursue us and rescue us.  (Luke 15:3-7)

And because he cares for us, David says we shall lack nothing we need.

Jesus reiterates this saying that if our Father takes care of the birds of the air and clothes the flowers of the field, how much more will he take care of us?  (Matthew 6:25-30)

Not only that, he gives us peace and rest.  Sheep will not lie down unless if they are anxious or afraid.  But a good shepherd soothes their fears and anxieties and allows them to lie down in peace.

And when we’re tired and exhausted, when we’re feeling burdened by life’s problems, David writes that he restores our soul.

He gives us what we need not to just make it through the day, but to be totally refreshed as we face the new day and its challenges.

As our shepherd, he also leads us.  He shows us the right path to walk upon, a path that leads us where we need to go in life.

This is not to say that the path will always be pleasant.

The interesting thing here is that David says that the path sometimes leads us right into the valley of the shadow of death.  Through times when things seem dark.  Through times when there seems to be no hope.

But David says, “Even though I go through these dark places, even as I face death itself, I will not fear.”

Why?

“Because you are with me.”

He writes,

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4).”

Shepherds often used their rods to protect the sheep from predators that would attack them, and he would use the staff to guide the sheep.

And so even as David went through the dark times (and he had many), he says, “I see your protection and your guidance even then.”

And though God may not take all adversity from us, David says that even so, he provides all we need and more.  He sings in verse 5,

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Because of all these things, David sings with confidence and joy,

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  (6)

How about you?  Have you made God your shepherd?

Only in him, will you find the peace, joy, and contentment that we all seek.

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Zechariah

The God who watches over all

Zechariah

This passage starts with the people’s eyes upon the Lord, looking to see what he would do.

And here we see how God would bring Alexander the Great to bring judgment upon Syria, Tyre and Sidon, and Philistia.

The prophecies here detail the route Alexander took in his campaigns. He started with Hadrach (probably a place in Syria) and Damascus. Then he conquered Tyre and Sidon.

Tyre had been a place that even the Assyrians and Babylonians could not conquer, despite sieges of five and thirteen years respectively. But Alexander managed to conquer it within seven months.

Alexander then went on to conquer the Philistines (Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Ashdod were all cities there).

He ended the Philistine monarchy, and depopulated the cities before bringing in other people to live there in the Philistines’ place.

But then it says in verse 8,

But I will encamp at my temple to guard it against marauding forces.

Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch. (Zechariah 9:8)

In the midst of Alexander’s campaigns, Jerusalem was spared.

Josephus tells the account of how God appeared to the high priest in a dream and told him not to fear but to open the city gates and to go meet Alexander when he came.

The high priest went out with purple and gold clothing, while the rest of the priests went out in white linen.

When they did, Alexander approached the high priest, and kissed the name of God that was on the golden plate that was on the priest’s headpiece.

When asked why he did so, he said that he had had a dream in which he had seen a person wearing the same clothing bidding him to cross Asia and conquer the Persian empire.

Alexander then allowed the Jews to keep living according to their own laws, and also made them exempt from taxes every seven years.

What can we get from this? God is truly the one who watches over all and is in control.

To those who defy him will eventually come judgment. But to those who humble themselves before him, he will protect them.

He did so for the Jews and he will do so for us. As David wrote,

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. (Psalm 34:7–8)