Shield and Sword

“He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword!” (Deuteronomy 33:29 NLT)

A few years ago, there was a burglary in our neighborhood. My husband and I discussed getting a gun, but then settled for a heavy-duty Taser. He knows how to use it, but I’m reluctant to even touch the thing. It’s shaped like a gun and it is heavy. My husband has encouraged me to practice using it, but I have not fired it even once. We keep it in a locked case. If an intruder breaks into my home, I doubt I would even remember that we had it.  

The Lord is our offensive weapon as well as our defensive protection. Yet, many of us are reluctant to reach for Him. Mostly, we just keep Him in a box and forget about Him. Some of us only remember God when we are in the middle of a crisis. We might seek Him out when all other avenues are exhausted.  But, since we are unfamiliar with Him, we are not sure what to do. Faith can be unwieldy to those who are unaccustomed to it.

We have a God who will fight for us and defend us. However, it takes some practice to be conscious of His presence--to become familiar with Him. We must exercise our faith every chance we get, reach out to God regularly, and get used to lifting Him up. When we get accustomed to trusting God with our day-to-day struggles, we are then able to let Him handle the major crises as well.