God Our Defender, Part 2

Ps. 59:16-17 But I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, my God of mercy.

What happens when we don’t fear God or trust Him to defend us?

We have to find a way of protecting ourselves!

Here’s a secret: We actually don’t have the grace or wisdom to do that. When we defend ourselves, the strength and energy that God has purposed for other things gets sidetracked into making and executing a defense strategy. That’s bad for two reasons:

1. That strength and energy was supposed to be used for something else.
2. We can’t defend ourselves as well as God defends us.

Failure to let God be our Defender results in building up walls that may work for defense against hurt and pain, but they also keep out His love and His voice. It also keeps us self-directed instead of God-directed and other-directed.

Have you developed a defense strategy because of your history? Do you beat yourself up before others get the chance to? Do you keep people at what you feel is a “safe” distance?

Have you developed a hard outer shell (good for candy, bad for people)?

To let God take the lead in this area can be terrifying to some folks. It isn’t easy for anyone. We have to first believe His word that He is interested, actually invested, in defending us. Then we have to abandon our plans, become uncomfortably vulnerable, and then listen for His instructions. We can’t anticipate what we might hear. So let’s begin by agreeing that He is a wiser and stronger Defender than we are!

Prayer: Lord, I believe Your word that You are my Defender. Show me what that means. Please take away those defenses I’ve created that keep me from you and others, and help me to understand that You are with me as Defender at all times.