Your Shield
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. (Psalm 84:11-12)
When the temperatures drop to their coldest point of the year sometime in the "dead of winter," it might be difficult for us to think about the warmth of the sunshine. But during the cold seasons of the year, stores and catalogs begin to advertise their spring and summer clothing. Fitness centers and gyms push us toward membership saying “Get in Shape for the Bathing Suit Season." Reminders like these help us remember how much we appreciate the sunshine and warm weather that goes along with it.
The reading for today compares Jesus to the sun. This is easy to do since the sun is a life force to nature as Jesus is to our spiritual wellness. Jesus is our glorious source of the light of life. He is the source of our eternal life.
In our lives Jesus goes a step further than the sun. The Psalm next refers to Jesus as a shield. Not only does Jesus give us eternal life but he also protects and shields us from the attacks of the devil and the sinful world around us. This gives us the same confidence as David had when he wrote in the final verse, “O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.”
May God bless you and be with you as a light as well as a shield.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: What other attributes of the sun remind us of the attributes of God?
PRAYER SUGGESTIONS: Thank God for the amazing gift of his Word and his Spirit that shares with us the truth of our salvation in Jesus. Ask God to forgive you for the times you've preferred the darkness of sin to the light of his full and free salvation.