YHWH MAGEN
(pronounced yah-way maw-GEN)
THE LORD MY SHIELD
Psalm 3:3
But Thou, O LORD, are a shield around me, My Glory, and The Lifter-Up of my head.
Can't always see Him at work in our lives. Can't always see His protection. But as Christians we know that our God is always with us. We know that He protects us from both unseen dangers and snares laid for us.
The Word of God covers us, surrounds us and causes us to walk uprightly in The Word. Our Shield covers our head with His salvation. Our Shield is held in our least dominant hand and arm, the weakest part of us, that His Strength may be made evident, that His Name would be glorified in times of battle and warfare.
Our Shield is held in front of us. We are holding onto Him while He goes before us. We should never let go of, drop, our Shield, for then we would be in dire straits in the midst of our daily battles. And should one of us be killed for His Name's sake, it is not because we dropped our Shield; it was merely their time to be on the other side of the victory we always hope for.
Our Shield causes us to not only walk upright before The Lord (for it impossible to carry our Shield with our heads bowed low), but to maintain a vigilant walk with Him. Always looking forward, anticipating the fiery darts from the enemy's quiver which have the power to slip through our Armor, which is also The Word of God. We must keep our Shields up, our eyes and ears open to the dangers around us, and our Sword ever ready to repel the onslaught of hate which threatens to take us down and out.
Our Shield shines with the glory of God. The reflective Light shines Itself into the eyes of our enemies. It frustrates and blinds them to The Truth and sometimes they turn on each other. There is no need for us to polish our Shield, The Word of God; It's shine is The Glory of God.
This, our Shield, is a special Shield. It not only leads and protects us going forward, but as we go, It's properties of protection also surround us completely: on every side and behind us: A SHIELD AROUND ME, is what the psalmist writes. What is there to fear, indeed, when God not only goes before us, but is behind us, as well? It wasn't only at the crossing of The Red Sea that God led and followed after His people. He's still doing that. We have the favor of God with us as long as we retain Him as our Shield, too.
Don't drop your Shield. Don't stop following after God. Don't stop believing that Jesus Christ Is Lord. Don't stop listening to The Holy Spirit. Continue to walk your faith out in your lives. Continue to read Scripture daily. Continue to commune with, spend time in prayer with, God. Continue to listen to His Holy Spirit, Who is The Breath of God, The Wisdom of God, The Fire of God. You have, after all, the favor of God surrounding you as a Shield.
Psalm 5:12
For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
