David sure knew what he was talking about. After all, hadn't he been
pursued by Saul and later by his own son, Absalom? They had his
destruction in mind, but their plans were foiled. God had indeed
miraculously protected David from any harm.
On September 23,
somewhere in the country of South Africa, a 15 year-old found herself in
a very distressing moment. How would we have reacted if three robbers
show up while we are dining in a nice restaurant and for unknown
reasons, began firing indiscriminately?
That 15 year-old,
although completely terrified, was left unharmed, thanks to her dad who
immediately came to her rescue. He dragged her on the floor, and then he
shielded her from those flying menaces with his own body.
Although she left the scene unharmed, her dad was shot, and he died
shortly afterwards. He was literally his daughter's hero. Even though
his daughter had walked through the darkest valley possible, her dad had
been with her and he had shielded her from any bodily harm.
When
facing adversity, may we remember this powerful act of heroism, as we
too are assured that when walking through any menacing valley, God, too,
is with us. We have nothing to fear. Why worry when our Heavenly Father
is on our side!
Interestingly David mentions that God's rod and
staff comforts him. In our day and age we may have forgotten about these
two utensils. Now we rely more on the GPS and Facebook (Especially those
who call themselves the younger species of humankind). However they were
quite meaningful to David, the shepherd boy.
The rod was used for
punishment, to keep the sheep in line. "I will be his father, and he
will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded
by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands." (2 Samuel 7:14, NIV2)
However, we also need to remind ourselves that "My love will never be
taken away from him . . ." (2 Samuel 7:15, NIV2) When God corrects us,
it is to keep us on the right track and avoid the pitfalls of
temptation. No wonder that the rod comforted David, for it was, after
all, his Heavenly Dad protecting him from himself. We sure can be our
own worst enemies at times!
The staff, on the other hand, is a
sign of authority (See Gen 49:10) and no one has greater authority that
God Himself! And He is the One who assures us that He is with us, with
you, with me! We truly have nothing to fear. He is willing to take the
bullet for us, just as He did on Golgotha.
Rob Chaffart
The Shield During Adversity. Devotions from the Psalms (23:4)
Today's Bible Verse:
"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalms
23:4)
The Shield During Adversity. Devotions from the Psalms (23:4)
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