Lord, How will you protect me?

For the past year I have become deeply acquainted with a few Psalms. They have been in the trenches of my depression with me, they have been the encouragement when I have needed it the most, and they have been challenging me to look at God in a deeper way. All my life I have thought of God as only an authoritative figure in my life. I envision Him to be HUGE, sitting on a thick, golden gleaming throne blinding my eyes. I am awe-struck by God but He also left me scratching my head. I found myself thinking, “Why can’t I relate to God like I can relate to Jesus?” Fully realizing that they are the same person. Jesus knows what it is to be human, but then God must know too, right? When I picture Jesus, I see this kind, bearded man, and He is always hugging me and laughing, and then I see what He did for me on the cross, and then I imagine Him ascending into heaven and meeting Him up there one day. Warm fuzzies. Why could I not get warm fuzzies with God? I put God in a box. I only saw Him as this HUGE God lording over me. He IS HUGE and AMAZING and He IS the Lord of my life, BUT He also understands me and protects me like any Father would a child.

The Psalms really helped me with this. I began seeing phrases in the Psalms like, “The Lord is my shelter”, “in the shadow of Your wings”, “The Lord encamps around me”. These phrases and others like it are all throughout the Psalms, a constant reminder that the Lord is our PROTECTOR. The more I searched, the more I understood that God is SO MUCH MORE THAN I IMAGINED. He can’t be put in a box because He is EVERYWHERE and what is more, He cares deeply for me. So much that when I am in trouble He “encamps” around me. Psalm 34:7 says: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” The word “encamps” means- “To set up a camp or live in a camp”. Not only does God protect us but He is there to stay. He is not going to leave us or forsake us.

One of the most beautiful visuals of protector that we have from the Lord is “the shadow of His Wings”. Psalm 63:7 says, “For you have been my help and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.” Just imagine the Lord God flying over you and flapping His big strong wings and you are walking underneath Him in the shadow of those wings; you know He is there and He is hovering over you protecting you as you walk through the dark valley’s of life.

A few months ago I gave myself a project of going through every Psalm and underlining every verse that had to do with God’s protection over us. WOW! What a journey that was. I noticed two very interesting things. 1) More often than not, the psalmist was experiencing God’s protection IN THE MIDST OF TRIALS. God did not keep the psalmist out of harms way all the time, they had to walk through many trials, but, God was with them protecting the along the way. God does not promise that we will not go through trials but He does promise to hold our hand, carry us, support us, CAMP around us. 2) never in any of His promises does God take the offensive, He is always defending. I never read that God had a bow and arrow, sword, or sling; but I did read that God is our shield, our rock, a fortress, a tent. He is FIRM. Just like in Eph. 6:10-17 when He tells us to put on the whole armor. We are not told to attack the Devil but to “stand firm” against His schemes.

Slowly but steadily my heart began to unfold. My God, God the Father, IS personal. He can relate to me. In fact He sees me so much better than I see myself, His care for me runs so deep. Deep enough to follow me around and pitch a tent and live with me in times of trouble, to be right there to protect me. A true Father in every sense of the word. Warm Fuzzies.

Below I have categorized all the protection promises from God in the Psalms. It is my desire that they will bless your heart as they have mine and that in your times of trouble you can run to Him with open arms. We need to abandon ourselves and surrender to God.

Ps. 144:2- He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer my shield and He in whom I take refuge.

Protection Verses

• The Lord is a SHIELD- Psalm 3:3, “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”

5:12, 7:10, 18:30, 18:35, 28:7, 47:9, 59:11, 84:11, 91:4, 115:9,10,11, 119:114

• The Lord is our REFUGE– Ps. 46:1-“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

5:11, 11:1, 16:1, 25:20, 28:8, 31:1, 31:2. 43:2, 57:1, 61:3, 61:4, 71:3, 71:7, 91:2, 91:4. 91:9, 94:22, 142:5, 143:9

• The Lord protects us in the SHADOW OF HIS WINGS– Ps.63:7-“For you have been my help and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.” 36:7, 57:1, 61:4, 63:7, 91:1

• The Lord is my ROCK- Ps. 18:2- “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

19:14, 31:2, 31:3, 62:1, 71:3, 78:35, 94:22

• The Lord is our RESCUER– Ps. 18:17- “he rescued me from my strong enemy.

Ps. 18:19, 18:48, 91:15

• The Lord is our SUPPORT: Ps. 18:18- “they confronted me in the day of my calamity but the Lord was my support.

18:35

• The Lord is our STRENGTH: Ps.18:39- “For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.”

18:32, 28:7, 28:8

• The Lord is our DELIVERER: Ps. 41:1-2 “Blessed is the on who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive.”

18:48, 50:15, 70:5, 72:12, 106:43, 107:13,19,20,28, 116:8, 138:7

• God is our HELPER: Ps. 53:4-“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.”

70:5, 86:17, 115:9,10,11, 121:2, 124:8

• The Lord is our REDEEMER: Ps. 26:11- “But as for me, I shall walk in my intefrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me.

Ps. 31:5, 34:22, 36:7, 55:18, 72:14, 77:15, 78:35, 103:4, 106:10, 107:2

• The Lord is the STRONGHOLD OF OUR LIVES: Ps. 27:1- ” The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

37.39, 94:22

• The Lord is my SHELTER– Ps. 27:5- “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.

34:7, 61:4

• The Lord is our RESTORER: Ps. 30:3- “O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who fo down to the pit.”

• The Lord is our PRESERVER: Ps. 31:23- The Lord preserves the faithful.”

37:28

• The Lord is my SUSTAINER: Ps. 55:22- Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

• The Lord is my PROTECTOR: Ps. 91:14- Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.

• The Lord is my KEEPER: Ps. 121:2- The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

Ps. 121:7-8

• Ps. 25:15- “My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net.

• Ps. 40:2- “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, our of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.