"God's Umbrella of Protection" Lesson 162

Is God’s protection everywhere you are? Habakkuk 1:13 assures us that God’s eyes are too pure to look on evil and He cannot tolerate wrong. According to this statement, we should be careful where we go and what we tolerate if we expect God’s protection. The Psalms are filled with the promises of God’s protection such as Psalm 91. He will cover you with His feathers, He will shield you with His faithfulness, no harm will befall you and no disaster will come near your tent. However, read these passages carefully and in their entirety. God’s blessings, promises and protections come with conditions. We can compare God’s protection to an umbrella. When you are under the physical umbrella you are protected from the rain. When you STAY under God’s umbrella then you are protected from the dangers and snares that the devil throws at you. Do not take this protection for granted nor misuse it. Remember the Scripture warns not to put the Lord our God to the test, but do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight so that it may go well with you (Deut. 6:16-18). Even Jesus did not test His Father’s protection (Matt. 4:5-7).

God promises to protect you from your biggest enemy, sin, which no longer has the power to enslave you or determine your eternal destiny PROVIDED you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior (John 3:16, 6:47, Acts 2:21). This protection goes beyond your idea of bodily protection from sickness, disease and etc. You have an eternal life insurance bought by the blood of Jesus. Notice Jesus tells us not to fear those who can only destroy our bodies but to fear (stand in reverent awe) of the One that can destroy both soul and body (Matt. 10:28-31). Again, carefully examine the passage and understand that you will have injuries, trials, and tribulations as you live this life. There is a most encouraging clause in the policy that states that Christ is able to guard what you have entrusted to Him for the Day of the Lord (2 Tim. 1:12). What He is guarding is your eternal life that He has given you and no one can snatch this out of His hand (John 10:27-29, Rom. 8:38-39).

The protection that Jesus prayed over His disciples that God would protect them (John 17:9-12), He also prayed for you and I (John 17:20-26). This protection is for you to resist the devil who is out to destroy you (1 Pet. 5:8). Satan may win a few battles by making you sick, hurt or taking a loved one but he will never win the soul that you have given to Jesus Christ. This protection is for judgment (Rom. 2:1-11) and if you are ‘right with Him’ then you will follow His laws (Rom. 5:9) and will be safe. The insurance policy is free but God expects you to follow the Psalmist’s in expressing your love to God because you realize how great God’s love is for you (Ps. 86). Everything was written down as scripture for your learning (Rom. 15:4) and you have the same hope in God as the men who were inspired to write them (Acts 24:15).

One of the most precious gifts of protection comes in the form of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised to send a Counselor to be with you forever, to live within all of you, to teach everyone the truth and remind believers of everything Jesus promised (John 14:15-26). Once more I caution you to read and study each passage and find that this love, teaching and protection comes through obedience and love for the Father. The Lord does not want anyone to perish but to be prepared for the day of His coming by living holy and godly lives. Peter reminds you of Paul’s writings which he says are hard to understand and which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other scriptures, to their own destruction (2 Pet. 3:8-16). Do not be found guilty of pulling out one or two scriptures to justify your actions expecting God to protect you in your sinful follies. “Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either” (Rom. 11:20-21). Reading the entire chapter of Romans 11, you will find that this is speaking of the remnant of Israel, but also asked, “how unsearchable His judgments and His paths beyond tracing out” (Rom. 11:33). Therefore, as Paul warns, do not be conceited (Rom. 11:25), do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world (Rom. 12:2), do not think more highly of yourself than you ought (Rom. 12:3) and do not be overcome by evil (Rom. 12:21).

Remember in John 9:2-3 the power of God is seen in suffering. When faced with tragedy or disability, try not to ask why God did not protect you, but instead ask God to give you strength for the trial and a clearer perspective of what is happening. You know that such troubles are going to happen to Christians (1 Thess. 3:1-3). They are not always caused by sin or lack of faith. Experiencing problems and persecutions can build character (James 1:2-4), patience (Rom. 5:3-5) and sensitivity toward others who also face trouble (2 Cor. 1:3-7). God will not give you more temptation than you can bear (1 Cor. 10:13) and His protection still covers you (Luke 21:17-19). His protective love is strongly expressed in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9; “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed”.

Living for God protects you from shame (Rom. 9:33, Phil. 1:20) so that Christ will be exalted whether by life or death. The Lord is near; therefore you do not have to be anxious about anything. You will receive peace of God that will guard your hearts and your minds (Phil. 4:6-7). You have been anointed and He has set His seal of ownership on you and put His Spirit in your heart as a deposit. This is your guarantee of eternal life (2 Cor. 1:21). Now for my favorite ‘protection scripture’ in the entire Bible; “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39).