“You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head” Psalms 3:3 (ESV). David declared this in the middle of a rebellion against his government. Under the New Covenant there are no official governments of God, but God is our shield today too. He is still the shield of our souls. Our soul will prosper if we abide in him.
David wanted political and physical protection, which was part of the Old Covenant. Under the New Covenant political and physical protection are not promised until the second phase of the kingdom of God, after Jesus returns. Until then we may be persecuted and harmed, but the New Testament still teaches that God is our shield. He will strengthen and protect us against the evil one (2 Thess. 3:3) and our faith is a shield against the Enemy (Eph. 6:16).
God is our glory; he is our radiance; he is our treasure. We partake of him (2 Pet. 1:4) so we have more than all the riches in the world. His promises and his goodness inside us lifts our head when we are downcast. When we feel defeated or discouraged we can remember God is our shield, he is good to us and he has guaranteed a destiny for us. Then we know that ultimately we are victorious and joy cannot be extinguished from our hearts.
How often do you remind yourself that God is our shield?
