1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is on needing a shield 4 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 2: of protection in the midst of people who tend to 5 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 2: hurt us. We'll return with the devotional after a brief 6 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 2: message from our sponsors. Your Shield of Protection written and 7 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 2: read by Cindy McManamon. But you Lord are a shield 8 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 2: around me, my glory and the one who lifts my 9 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 2: head Psalm three to three. Have you ever received a comment, observation, 10 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 2: or insinuation that left you feeling vulnerable or exposed? Don't 11 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 2: you wish it time you had a protective shield you 12 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 2: could hide behind, or at least have in front of you, 13 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 2: to catch those piercing arrows or darts, even the unintentional 14 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 2: ones that leave you feeling sad or defeated. My daughter 15 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 2: is an only child who's always been quite independent and 16 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 2: never needy of a man in her life, and never 17 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 2: feels alone. Untells someone who means well, of course, asks 18 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 2: her if she's in a relationship yet, and after they 19 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 2: express their confidence that shall one day find a husband 20 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 2: and be happy. She can tend to feel singled out 21 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 2: as inadequate or incomplete, even though she's very content with 22 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 2: where God has her and is not striving for a relationship. 23 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 2: A friend of mine who's recently divorced and knows a 24 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 2: closeness with God she hasn't experienced while married, will suddenly 25 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 2: feel awkward and unprotected when someone mentions her struggle and 26 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 2: expresses their sympathy or judgment for her predicament. And a 27 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 2: young mom I know feels isolated and alone when she 28 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 2: faces a decision concerning her toddler that other moms might 29 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 2: criticize or at least not agree with. When there doesn't 30 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 2: seem to be any right or wrong answer or anyone 31 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,239 Speaker 2: to walk her through the right answer for her situation, 32 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 2: she feels inadequate and lacks confidence in either choice. Oh 33 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 2: how you and I need a protective shield, something to 34 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:26,080 Speaker 2: guard our hearts from even unintentional comments that feel like 35 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 2: arrows piercing our hearts. And oh how our God has 36 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 2: already provided, David saying in Psalm three to three, You 37 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 2: Lord are a shield around me, my glory, and the 38 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 2: one who lifts my head high. Our God is a 39 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 2: shield of protection around us, and the one who lifts 40 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 2: our heads high. When we would otherwise hang them low 41 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 2: feeling outnumbered, outclassed, out voted, or just left out. Because 42 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 2: He is a shield of protection around us, He enables 43 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 2: us to hold our heads high God confidence. David also 44 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 2: saying in Psalm five twelve, you bless the righteous person Lord. 45 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 2: You surround him with favor as with a shield. That 46 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 2: means God's protective shield around us is also a shield 47 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 2: of favor. Do you realize as His child you remain 48 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 2: in a circle of God's favor that protects you in 49 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 2: ways you can't imagine. In Psalm one thirty nine five, 50 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 2: David must have been describing God's shielding circle around him 51 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 2: when he sang, you have encircled me behind and in 52 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 2: front and placed your hand upon me. God, as a protective, 53 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 2: enclosing shield, goes before us, moves alongside us, and guards 54 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 2: our backs. David continued his description of God as a 55 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 2: shield in Psalm seven ten when he sang, my shield 56 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 2: is God most High, who saves the upright in heart. 57 00:03:56,240 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 2: God himself is our shield. In Psalm eighteen, David described 58 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 2: God as a shield of refuge when he said, the 59 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 2: God who is his rock, fortress and deliverer is also 60 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 2: his shield and the horn of his salvation his stronghold 61 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 2: verses one and two. After describing God's mighty rescue of 62 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 2: him in that same Psalm eighteen, David proclaims in verse 63 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 2: thirty as for God, his way is blameless, the word 64 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 2: of the Lord is refined. He is a shield to 65 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,920 Speaker 2: all who take refuge in him. And in verse thirty five, 66 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 2: David declares his personal praise to God as his shield 67 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 2: of support when he sings, you protect me with your 68 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 2: saving shield. You support me with your right hand. You 69 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 2: have stooped to make me great. Intersecting faith in life, 70 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 2: when someone says something to make us feel awkward, isolated, 71 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 2: or alone, you and I don't have to stoop down 72 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:59,159 Speaker 2: to their level for a cutting comeback, or wilt him 73 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 2: side with a sin of awkwardness, embarrassment, or shame. God 74 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:07,599 Speaker 2: has already stooped for us and toward us, to be 75 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 2: our shield and protector. In the New English translation, the 76 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 2: end of verse thirty five reads, you give me your 77 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 2: protective shield. Your right hand supports me. Your willingness to 78 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 2: help enables me to prevail. The God of this universe 79 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 2: is willing to help you, and just by knowing that 80 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 2: you and I are enabled to prevail, press forward, and 81 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:35,479 Speaker 2: persevere on the path He has placed us. Go to 82 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,799 Speaker 2: the Book of Psalms in your Bible, and I encourage 83 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 2: you to highlight every time God is described as a shield. 84 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 2: I found more than a dozen descriptions of Him as 85 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 2: a shield, and it encouraged my heart and made me 86 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:52,479 Speaker 2: feel strong and protected. Remember your shield of protection, wherever 87 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 2: you go, whatever you do, whatever you may hear. For 88 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 2: further reading, see Psalm eighty four alone and Psalm ninety one, 89 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 2: verse four. For more on connecting more closely with God 90 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 2: your Shield, see my books The New Loneliness and The 91 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 2: New Loneliness Devotional. 92 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:19,600 Speaker 1: The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life Audio and 93 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:23,559 Speaker 1: Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, please 94 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: take a second to rate and review this podcast in 95 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you 96 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:34,600 Speaker 1: can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, 97 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 1: visit us at lifeaudio dot com.