“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
Psalms 91:14 (NIV)
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
This verse reminds us of Romans 8:28 where God promises:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
In this age, God does protect us and does good for his faithful followers, but not fully. We know that he did not protect Jesus and his Apostles from harm. And we know that Scripture teaches us that we must follow in their footsteps to some degree. We know that we still suffer. So are we really protected? Yes, we are protected in our interior self. Our heart and mind cannot be defeated by destructive forces. We are one spirit with God (1 Cor. 6:17). Nothing can separate us from him (Rom. 8:31-39).
He also protects us from evil:
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV)
So in the Old Testament under the Old Covenant God promises to physically protect his people, the nation of Israel. Under the New Covenant he promises to protect our heart and our oneness with him. So is the New Covenant inferior to the Old? Why do we not have physical protection? Why are the good people harmed and rejected?
The answer is that he will protect and prosper us under the New Covenant, but not until the next age after Jesus returns and establishes his kingdom on Earth. Then we are fully protected from all corruption for all eternity.
So now we have the most important protection – the protection of our inner selves. In the second phase of the New Covenant, the arrival of the kingdom of God, God will provide the remainder of our protection. So we are encouraged by this verse from Psalm 91 because it is coming true. In this age we have the protection we need to abide in Christ and be fruitful.
