Protected From Arrows Series

Protected from arrows

Psalm 91 - Study 16 - Protected from Arrows

We read in Psalm 91:5-6, “You will have no fear of the evil things of the night, or of the arrow in flight by day, or of the disease which takes men in the dark, or of the destruction which makes waste when the sun is high.” (BBE)

The part of the verse we are meditating on in this study is that we need not fear the arrows that fly by day. Arrows were widely used as weapons of warfare in days gone by to kill, hurt or pain those who were the targets. These arrows are almost unheard of as they are hardly in use in these days of modern warfare. However, I will show you a verse from the bible which will help us realize that there are arrows that are still being used even today, and we are in need of God’s protection from their attacks.

We read in Jeremiah 9:8,“Their tongue is a deadly arrow;”(ASV)

There are many people whose words are sharp and deadly like arrows. These words when hurled at us cause deep pain, but the psalmist encourages us to not be in dread of these deadly arrows that are directed towards us.

We will study in detail some of the incidents that transpired in David’s life and learn how he handled these arrows that were aimed at him.

1. The arrows of scorn and curses

Goliath despised David

In 1 Samuel 17:42-43 we read, “When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him, for he was only a boy and ruddy with a handsome appearance. So the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog that you are coming to me with sticks?" Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods.” (LEB)

Goliath the Philistine looked on David who was a young man with contempt and spoke to him with utter disregard. David did not allow the scornful words of Goliath get him down. Not only did Goliath speak to David with defiance, he went further on to curse David by his gods. However, David did not get perturbed but instead he boldly declared to Goliath that he came against him in the name of the Almighty God who was on his side. By doing so, David ended up with a jubilant victory over the ungodly Goliath.

Often we may have heard people speak of us disrespectfully or with disdain. There are also those who might have cursed us with their words. It would be good to understand what these words of blessing or curse are, so that we will be better equipped to handle these assaults that are hurled against us. A majority of people consider their family or having their own house or a vehicle as their blessings. Let me explain blessings from the perspective of God in creation.

When God created Adam and Eve the first thing He did was to bless them and this He did so by pronouncing certain words over them. God gave them instructions as to the kind of life they were expected to lead which were His words of blessings. God blessed them so that they would multiply, fill the earth and rule over all that He had created. The words of God gave them strength and they became rulers over all of God’s creation just as He declared.

So also curses are words that are pronounced that declare our ruin or downfall. Often when we hear these words we get stressed and filled with fear that these could actually materialize to affect our family, work or even our future. If we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, every uncalled for curse that is hurled at us, will not affect us and there is no need for us to panic about them.

God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing

We read in Ephesians 1:3,“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” (LEB)

Everyone who has received the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior, have the blessed privilege of being those who are blessed with every spiritual blessings by God the Father. Therefore, none of the curses of men that are aimed at us will actualize in our lives.

Goliath was a trained warrior, David was just an ordinary young shepherd boy. While Goliath came with all his armor, David stood before him with nothing to protect himself. However the Lord stood with David and gave him an astounding victory. None of the words of contempt or curses of Goliath had any sort of impact on David for the Lord was on his side.

Just like David, the Lord will raise us up in the presence of those who spoke with disdain or scorned us. The Lord hears the words of disregard aimed at us, even before they reach our ears and He will fight on our behalf. Let us also be assured that any curse that is targeted towards those of us who are God’s children, will not affect us in any way for the Lord will turn them around to become a blessing to us.