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Scriptures About the Lord is a Shield

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Scriptures About the Lord is a Shield

Throughout the Bible, scripture names many metaphors for God. Many of these relate to and tell us about his character. A large part of God’s character, as is true of any good parent, is a protector. Thus, one of the things that the Bible says is that the Lord is a shield.

A shield by definition is a defensive armor used to protect or defend a person. It can also act as a cover or barrier to hide a person or to cut them off from observation. In our lives, God can use this kind of protection to safeguard us from danger and attacks (spiritual or physical) or even discomfort, much like a shield could act as a barrier to offensive weapons. As a shield God can also provide us shelter or concealment from things that might otherwise have a negative effect on us, much like a shield can provide protection from the sun or heat or to hide one from predators.

Matthew Henry says of Psalm 3:3 that the Lord as a shield provides safety: “”Thou art a shield for me, a shield about me” (so some), “to secure me on all sides, since my enemies surrounded me.” Not only my shield (Gen. 15:1), which denotes an interest in the divine protection, but a shield for me, which denotes the present benefit and advantage of that protection.”[1]

Think about some of the areas where we might come under attack or require protection and be in need of a shield:

Our life/health (physical threats)

Our mind (emotional or mental threats)

Marriage

Our children

Other family

Relationships

Jobs

Property or personal belongings

Spiritual attacks

…to name a few

It’s comforting to know we have a shield around us protecting us on all sides

It should be comforting to us to know that the Lord is called our shield to protect us in areas and during times when we are vulnerable. He protects us because we are his own. It’s his nature. We can rest in knowing that we have someone that we can depend upon to protect, defend, and shelter us. We don’t have to do it alone. God will surround us as a shield to secure us on all sides, enclosing and encompassing us to keep us safe from diverse kinds of harm and destruction.

“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.” Exodus 13:21 (ESV)

“Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them” Exodus 14:19 (ESV)

“Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind.” Isaiah 58:8 (NLT)

“You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” Psalm 139:5 (NLT)

“For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.” Psalm 34:7 (NLT)

“Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever.” Psalm 125:2 (NLT)

“The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” Psalm 121:8 (NLT)

God will surround us as a shield to secure us on all sides, enclosing and encompassing us to keep us safe from diverse kinds of harm and destruction.

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Let these verses be a reminder and a help to us that God is our shield and we have protection available!

Scriptures About the Lord is a Shield

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Scriptures on Freedom

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Scriptures on Freedom

Scriptures on Freedom

This week on the 4th of July, the United States celebrates our independence. It was on July 4, 1776, that our nation signed the Declaration of Independence which states that God always intended for human beings to be free exclaiming, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

However, Jesus came to give us more than just physical freedom and liberty. Jesus came to give us freedom from death, sin, and/or anything that enslaves us. Because of Jesus, we can declare independence from sin or anything that holds us captive.

Jesus came to give us more than just physical freedom and liberty. Jesus came to give us freedom from death, sin, and/or anything that enslaves us.

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True Freedom

I love the way this article from Focus on the Family articulates what true freedom is…

“Jesus was not setting us free to do whatever we wanted; He was freeing us to do what we ought to do. He was liberating us to walk in relationship with God and to be the kind of people He created us to be. This spiritual freedom is what I call “inside freedom” —  the ability to obey God and choose His will for our lives.

And this is the freedom that sin had long denied us.

Jesus shocked the Pharisees, the spiritual leaders of His day, when He stated, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Jesus was asserting that we are all under the power and control of a natural tendency to sin; we can’t get away from it by ourselves.

Sin brings a penalty that, by ourselves, we can’t escape either. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

How do we find freedom from the penalty and power of sin? That comes through accepting Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross as the payment for our sin. As we submit to Christ, sin loses its power — Christ’s power takes over. As we choose to trust and follow Him, our sinful habits, thoughts and attitudes lose their control. Guilt disappears, and peace of mind dominates. Right habits become the norm. That’s freedom — true freedom!”[1]

Scriptures on Freedom

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Scriptures About the Lord is My Strength

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Scriptures About the Lord is My Strength

“He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31 (NLT)

There are times in every Christian’s life when we feel weak, lacking strength, overwhelmed, tired, and/or depleted. We tend to exhaust everything we know to do in our own power. Therein lies the problem…“our own power”. We often try to do life on our own and don’t rely on God enough. There comes a point when our own efforts are not sufficient, and our own strength becomes exhausted. God wants us to know that and be confident to proclaim that “GOD IS MY STRENGTH”.

Some battles and things we face in life were never meant to be faced on our own. We NEVER win a spiritual battle with natural strength.

“…be strong IN THE LORD and IN HIS mighty power…” Ephesians 6:10 (NIV) emphasis mine

There are scriptures that will remind us that we don’t need to rely on our own strength and attempt to do everything ourselves. Instead, we need to look to God for support. (See also this prayer for strength.)

When we need strength, or need strength renewed, we need to look to the Lord. These scriptures will remind us that God will supply and renew our strength in times of need. In fact, he IS our strength!

We never win a spiritual battle with natural strength. #TheLordisMyStrength

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Scriptures About the Lord is My Strength:

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Scriptures About Kindness

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Scriptures About Kindness

I’ve written previously about kindness and unity. Scriptures abound about how we should display kindness as a quality and character trait of being a Christian and follower of Jesus. There are also numerous scriptures about how God is kind. (Hence, if we are children of God, we should follow suit.) In this post, I thought I’d create a resource page by compiling a list of scriptures about kindness and how we are called to be kind. In addition, I’ve included a list of scriptures about the kindness of God.

Next week’s post will contain some practical application to these scriptures. We’ll discuss characteristics of kindness and what it might look like in action, WHY we should be kind, and HOW to be kind (especially when it’s not easy or might not come naturally). All of those things will be based upon the foundations of these scriptures in this post.

Scriptures About Kindness

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:12-15 (ESV)

“A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.” 2 Timothy 2:24-25 (NLT)

“Your kindness should be known to all!” Philippians 4:5 (NAB)

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

“We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.” 2 Corinthians 6:6 (NLT)

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

“Do to others as you would like them to do to you.” Luke 6:31 (NLT) Continue reading →

Scriptures About the Lord is My Helper

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Scriptures About the Lord is My Helper

The Bible declares that the Lord, God, is our helper. He is there to help us in times of need. That is a promise from scripture. It is part of who God is. It is one of his defining characteristics and traits. We are God’s children, and we have the one true and only God on our side to back us up and empower us. God loves us. He is for us, not against us, and he will help when we need it and when we call out to him. He is your helper and my helper!

There are times in our lives where we face trouble, when we need direction, or when we truly can’t do things on our own. We all need help from time to time. We will need help to do some of the things that God has called us to do. Sometimes that help can come from others, but other times we need help directly from God. It’s okay to ask for help, from others and from God! God will partner with us in the things that we face, big or small.

Therefore this week I’d like to share some scriptures to inform you and build your confidence in the fact that the Lord is your helper!

Scriptures about the Lord is my helper:

“By the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.” Genesis 49:25 (ESV)

“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song to God, and spoke, saying, Let us sing to the Lord, for he is very greatly glorified: horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. He was to me a helper and protector for salvation: this is my God and I will glorify him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” Exodus 15:1-2 (BST)

“There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor.” Deuteronomy 33:26 (NLT)

“Blessed are you, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will tread on their heights.” Deuteronomy 33:29 (NIV)

“And the song was thus: O Lord, my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God; he shall be to me my guard, I will trust in him: he is my protector, and the horn of my salvation, my helper, and my sure refuge; thou shalt save me from the unjust man. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, and I shall be saved from my enemies.” 2 Samuel 22:2-4 (BST)

“But You, LORD, do not be far away; You who are my help, hurry to my assistance.” Psalm 22:19 (NASB)

“Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation!” Psalm 27:9 (NLT)

“The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” Psalm 28:7 (NLT)

“We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20 (NLT) Continue reading →

Scriptures About the Lord is On My Side

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Scriptures About the Lord is On My Side

Do you know the power that you have on your side and behind you? So many people are unaware or forget that God is on their side. It’s easy to feel defeated and discouraged when we lose sight of this. Therefore this week I’d like to share some scriptures to inform you and build your confidence in the fact that the Lord is on your side!

I mentioned in the post about using our spiritual authority against the enemy that we need to know that we are God’s children, and that we have the one true and only God on our side to back us up and empower us. God loves us. He is for us, not against us. God is our biggest cheerleader. We can rest confident in Him.

A word of caution here…God is on the side of the righteous, those in right-standing with him because of accepting the sacrifice of Jesus. God is on the side of truth—His word is truth (John 17:17). God is on our side when we are on HIS side. Additionally, just because God is on our side does not mean that we are always guaranteed immediate success nor that we are spared hard times or trouble (John 16:33).

Scriptures about the Lord is on my side

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” Romans 8:31 (NLT)

“My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side!” Psalm 56:9 (NLT)

“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.” Psalm 118:6-7 (ESV)

“What if the LORD had not been on our side? Let all Israel repeat: What if the LORD had not been on our side when people attacked us?” Psalm 124:1-2 (NLT)

“For the LORD will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.” Proverbs 3:26 (NIV)

“See, the Sovereign LORD is on my side! Who will declare me guilty? All my enemies will be destroyed like old clothes that have been eaten by moths!” Isaiah 50:9 (NLT)

“Then my enemies will see that the LORD is on my side. They will be ashamed that they taunted me, saying, “So where is the LORD— that God of yours?” With my own eyes I will see their downfall; they will be trampled like mud in the streets.” Micah 7:10 (NLT)

“But the LORD stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten.” Jeremiah 20:11 (NLT)

“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 (NIV) Continue reading →

New Resource Pages

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New Resource Pages

I’ve mentioned before that I fancy myself as a curator of resources. This week I’ve added two resource pages to the site as landing pages containing lists of posts by topic. There is a “Scriptures for or about…” page and a “Prayers for…” page.

Here is a current list of the contents on each page: Continue reading →

Scriptures on Anger

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Scriptures on Anger

Last week I wrote about 4 things to do with your anger. Anger is a common emotion, and sometimes it can serve a purpose by pushing us into action to get something done. Other times it’s just an emotion that we need to deal with carefully, learning to control it instead of letting it rule our thoughts, choices, decisions, and behaviors.

I have found a helpful way to handle anger is to focus on different scriptures concerning anger. So today I’ve put together a resource page with some helpful scriptures on anger.

Control your anger-don’t let anger control you

“Be angry and do not sin; on your bed, reflect in your heart and be still. Selah” Psalm 4:4 (HCSB)

“Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper–it only leads to harm.” Psalm 37:8 (NLT)

“Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3 (NIV)

“Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.” Proverbs 10:12 (NIV)

“Short-tempered people do foolish things, and schemers are hated.” Proverbs 14:17 (NLT)

“People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.” Proverbs 14:29

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1 (NIV) Continue reading →