His Personal Protection

Psalm 28

King David was always getting himself in trouble. Whether it was hiding in the cave, dodging thrown knives, or sneaking through a sleeping camp, he always seemed to have a flare for life in the danger zone. He reminds me in that way of my brother-in-law, Jesse. Jesse has a proclivity to hurt himself that I find quite amazing! Whether it’s crazy situations like a throwing knives stunt that bounced back at him from against a tree or playing soccer and ripping ACL right before he was supposed to deploy to Afghanistan, Jesse has always found a way to get injured. The reality is that whether we are accident prone, deal with health issues, or even are just part of the safer-living average, death and danger is all around us. There is risk everywhere we go, whether it’s crossing the street or putting your face in a fan – and don’t even think of biking on the roads in Cape Coral – that’s almost automatic death. We live with so much risk, it is vital for us to understand and appreciate the role God plays in our protection.

We are spending this month focused on the idea of thankfulness for God’s presence in our lives. Last week we talked about His engagement with us and today I would like to look into His protection over us. While it can be easy to forget, without Him, life would be a lot more like the fiery furnace and Daniel’s friends faced. Let’s take a look at some things that God does to protect and preserve His people.

God Hears Our Cries (v1-2)

Have you ever tried to imagine hell? Do you think about the heat, the smell, or the evil imagery – a haunted house? Scripture gives us insight into the idea of hell, and what’s horrific part is it’s a place without God’s presence. Simply put, He’s not there. Thus to lose His presence of for Him to “turn His back on us” would be like death. His presence is LIFE. This is the yearning from which David wrote Psalm 28. Without God, he is literally as good as dead. Now here’s the thing: God is always listening, but we experience that when we get a response. The practice of waiting on God and learning to listen to His voice are key components to making sure we are able to hear when He speaks to us, which helps build trust in Him as we walk this journey of life in relationship. Knowing God hears you is such an important component to that trust, because we need to know that we are heard – personally, even intimately.

In the summer of 1995, God taught me a lesson about Him hearing me. It was a simple request, but one that showed me how deeply He cares for me – it was a baseball game, Braves were down and I prayed for a win, next batter hit a home run to win the game. I don’t remember which game it was or who they were playing, but I remember how quickly and clearly I heard God in that moment – it was a gift, an opportunity to trust in God a little more. But God does a whole lot more than give us sports victories. He deals with the important things too–things that get in the way.

God Removes Our Obstacles (v3-5)

Evil always kept getting in David’s way; Goliath, Saul, even his own sons, but for those who trust in God, we can rely on Him removing those obstacles as He is working out His good for us. Evil will not last, it is temporary, and God is very creative in how He deals with it. Consider Jericho – God designed that siege so that the Israelites would be absolutely clear it was all Him. God is our remover of evil and even gives us His power to do so as well – remember the disciples as they were sent out? Luke 9:1, Jesus empowers them to do as He does.

God Protects His People (v6-9)

The more we recognize God’s work in our lives, the easier it is to see that He is actively and directly involved. God is our constant protector, providing salvation eternally, but also sustenance and protection while on this earth. Scripture says that nothing can take us out of the hand of God and if He is for us, who can be against us?

Next Steps

David sings this song of thankfulness because he owes his life to God, just like the veteran who owes his life to his buddy in the trench. If you look back on your life, you will see God’s protection throughout. If you’d like a better understanding, try these:

1. Pray for things that will allow you to see and experience God’s responses. Keep a record of answered prayers.
2. Give God room to work in your life. If we push to do it all ourselves, He will back off and let us.
3. Practice being openly thankful to God, even in the simple things, when He answers your prayer.

God is there for you, just like He was with David. Be thankful for what He’s done in your life by giving Him more trust over your life. Don’t be afraid; be in His presence.