Freedom Friday: The God Who Protects

I've written a couple of blog posts on the character of God. I've also done 2 posts on the theme of "The God Who" (bends & sustains are past favorites) and will continue that today with The God Who Protects.

I wrote in the Monday Morning Meditation this week about the following verse:

"He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection."

Psalm 91:4

Before we dive any more into the concept of God as protector, let's revisit some questions I asked in Monday's blog post.

What do you wear as armor?

Do you self-protect, or allow God to be your refuge and tower of safety?

I tried to protect myself for much of my life. I thought I could be safe if I were skinny. When that garnered too much attention, I gained 50 pounds. That didn't work either. Pushing people away with my behavior only left me hurt and desperately lonely.

"The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me." Psalm 116:6 (NIV1984)

I tried to protect myself by hiding. Hiding my feelings, my fears, my struggles and insecurities. This would eventually backfire, as I'm an external processor and everything I tried to keep in would burst forth like a beach ball held under water.

"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." Psalm 32:7
(NIV1984)

I continued to try to self-protect while following Jesus. I thought, "I can't tell anyone about same-sex attraction, the fact that I self-injure, or that I hate myself on a regular basis. I'll project the image that I have it all together so no one questions me." This facade is not something that I could maintain healthily for lots of reasons, the bottom line being that God didn't want me to protect or trust in myself.

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name." Psalm 91:15 (NLT)

How have you self-protected? Maybe more importantly, why?

Stop and think about your fears. What would happen if you chose to allow God into all areas of your life?

Grab your Bible and look up some of these psalms I've quoted. Consider what they have to say about God's protection. Ask Him to reveal the ways you have tried to protect yourself, and be willing to lay those down. Ask God's forgiveness for your unwillingness to believe He is able to preserve and protect you, and trust Him to care for you in the area of protection.

"He is my loving ally and my fortress,
My tower of safety, my deliverer.
He stands before me as a shield and I take refuge in Him." Psalm 144:2

The God who protects.