THE LORD OUR SHIELD

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Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.”

There are some wonderful truths in this small declaration from scripture for the person that places their trust in God.  What does it mean for God’s word to be “pure?”  Webster defines pure as “Free from that which harms…weakens, or pollutes; genuine; real; perfect.”  In other words, it is entirely free of defect or deceit; it is truth you can depend upon. 

Another truth is that God is our “shield,” our defense, shelter and protection.  My daughter and I were talking one morning, and she noted how the shield is the piece of armor that protects the part of the body most vulnerable to attack.  In other words, we have nothing to fear from Satan or anything else in this world when we trust the Lord as our Savior.  Does that mean nothing “bad” will never happen to us?  No.  It does mean, however, that God is sovereign and in control and watching out for our well-being.  We most naturally process that truth in light of the physical now; but, in truth, I believe it is in light of our spiritual forever.  The worst that can ever happen to the child of God is that he/she gets to go home to live in the presence of the Savior.

JERUSALEM WILL BECOME A PRAISE THROUGHOUT THE EARTH

My daughter recently enjoyed a three-month study period in Israel and came back with some wonderful pictures.  I was reminded once again of the words of the prophet Isaiah as I enjoyed perusing her pictures and came across a video clip of her reading from Isaiah 62 while sitting on the Mt. of Olives.  These words have often been a part of my prayers for many years.

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I believe these prayers will be answered, and the day is coming when the LORD will make Jerusalem a “praise in the earth.”  The Lord Jesus declared Himself the fulfillment of the first part of the words of Isaiah recorded in the previous chapter when He read in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4).  Just as surely as He fulfilled the first part…

Luke 4:16–19 “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

He will fulfill the last part.

Isaiah 61:1-3 “…and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

As the calls for the destruction of Israel get louder and the nations continue to accuse Israel as the aggressor instead of the victim and try to get them to continue to divide their land for peace, I believe that the time for that fulfillment draws near. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

REJOICING IN SALVATION AND LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAVEN

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