God, The Great Protector

Introduction

To protect is to cover or shield from danger or injury. It is to defend a person, place, people or organization or country from attack, hurt, oppression and exploitation. It is to guard someone, something or a place. It is to keep safe. These are all things God specializes in doing.

Protection or safety is a basic need of everyone. Whether rich or poor, young or old, Christian or Muslim, or whatever religion one practices, people want to be able to go out and not be attacked or assaulted by hooligans. If you are travelling by road or by air, you want the comfort of knowing there won’t be an accident or crash that can end your life prematurely. Or your trip won’t be hijacked by kidnappers or terrorists. You want to go to bed at night and not be afraid that thieves and armed robbers will break into your home. You want to attend a function such as a wedding, birthday party, anniversary or book launch and have the assurance that your car, phone or money won’t be cleverly snatched from you. You want to receive a basket of homemade food from a neighbour, colleague or church member and not have any qualms that there’s poison in the food. As a lady you want to walk on the streets of your community and not be apprehensive that there’s a rapist out there. We desire these assurances or guarantee of safety as the likelihood of danger whether real or imagined, creates tension and increases stress and anxiety.

Protection is such a vital need of man that people go to great extents to secure their lives. Some spend large amounts of money to get policemen and other armed security to guard and patrol their homes or offices. People pay huge amounts of money to get guard dogs, CCTV Cameras, GPS Trackers so you can track the exact location of your car or other personal items if they get stolen or missing. Alarm Systems, Bomb Detectors and other latest high-tech security gadgets are used in many homes and offices today so nothing is left to chance, so people are well protected. Some people even wear charms and all kinds of amulets which they believe will protect them from harm and danger.

Now more than ever before, protection or security has become an important issue for individuals, families, organizations and countries. We live in perilous times; very dangerous times. These are the days that you leave your house and go to work or school, and you are not sure of what you will meet on the way. You can be attacked in broad day light by hooligans, kidnappers, robbers and rapists. These are the times that people board trains and planes and the next thing you hear is that it has been bombed. These are the days that people go to church to worship God and from nowhere gunmen open fire and kill several people.

Psalm 91:5-6 buttresses this point that there’s real danger out there. We see from these two verses that there is really no safe day, there is no trouble free time. In the night, there is the terror of the night to deal with. In the day time, there are all kinds of arrows flying about. When it’s dark, there’s a pestilence out there. At noonday, there’s a destruction that waste people’s lives.

In the face of all these impending danger, God assures of His protection. He says to us in Isaiah 41:10 ‘Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ In Psalm 91:10 God assures us that no evil will befall us, no plague will come near our dwelling place.

What makes God a Great Protector?

1) Firstly His names. Through the names of God, we get a deeper understanding, revelation and appreciation of who God is, what He is capable of doing. God has so many names that show He is capable of protecting us from all manner of harm, danger and evil. The names of God reveal God to us as a Great Protector. Protective names of God include:

• Shield or Buckler – A shield is a broad piece of metal or another hard material used to protect one from blows or missiles. God is a large shield that protects our whole body and our entire life. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus said do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot touch your souls. This goes to show that only God has the power to protect your soul from being touched, from being harmed. When God’s shield of protection is covering you, you escape blows and missiles sent from the kingdom of darkness. God shields us from danger, defends and protects us from being assaulted, attacked or injured. In Genesis 15:1, God encouraged Abraham by telling him not to be afraid, He is Abraham’s shield. God was in essence telling Abraham don’t be afraid of anything or anyone. Don’t be afraid of what you see and hear. Don’t be afraid of any arrow or weapon of the enemy. I am your Shield; I will cover, protect and defend you. Maybe like Abraham you are going through a difficult situation, you have heard some disheartening news, you have received a frightful report. Your heart has been beating fast. You are worried and afraid. God is saying to you, I am your shield, I will cover you, I will protect you. In Psalm 3:3, David said there were many rising up against him, many troubling him, many mocking him, but in the midst of all this, He realized that God is his shield, his glory and the lifter of his head. May we like David be able to boldly declare in the midst of enemies, opposition, trouble and danger that the Lord is my Shield, my glory and the Lifter up of my head.