But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that
all who love Your name may be filled with joy. For you bless the godly, O LORD;
you surround them with your shield of love. Psalm 5:11-12
What a sweet assurance—God will protect
anyone who seeks protection in Him. I picture that mother hen, spreading her
wings over her baby chicks, protecting them. Comforting scene. Jesus uses this
image in talking with the multitude and His disciples while in Jerusalem. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that
kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to
gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings,
but you wouldn't let me." Matthew 23:37. Jesus wanted to shield those
who believed in Him from those ready to wage war against Him and His followers.
Ages before Jesus, David wrote Psalms and then his son, Solomon, wrote Proverbs
that described the Lord as a shield.
David sang this song to the LORD on the day
the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: "The
LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find
protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of
safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence." 2
Samuel 22:1-3
God is my shield, saving those whose
hearts are true and right. Psalm 7:10
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my
savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield,
the power that saves me, and my place of safety. Psalm 18:2
For the LORD God is our sun and our shield.
He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those
who do what is right. Psalm 84:11
Every word of God proves true. He is a
shield to all who come to him for protection. Proverbs 30:5
Paul advices us to dress for spiritual
success by putting on the armor of God. That includes the shield of faith.
Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor
so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the
battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt
of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace
that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition
to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of
the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every
occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Ephesians 6:13-18
How do you see Jesus as a shield for you?
Prayer
~ Lord, be my shield and protect me from the flaming arrows that the devil hurls
in my direction. Deflect them with Your love and grace. Be merciful also to my
family, friends and neighbors, guiding all of us with Your truthful words. You
are my rock, my fortress, and my savior.
Daily
Bible Reading: Psalm 131, 138-139, 143-145
Friday’s
Feast at the King’s Table
Have you heard of the New Four Food Groups? They are Vegetables, Fruits, Legumes, and Whole Grains. These were
introduced by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in 1991. Where
has this information been hiding since 1991? I think that we have meat and
dairy activates that have been keeping this information from the front line
media…or I’ve had my head in the sand for the last 26 years. Most likely the
latter! Have you heard of this? So here’s the number of servings we should have
per day to provide our bodies with antioxidants to ward off infections and
cancer, as well as adequate protein and nutrients to provide for healthy
growth.
Fruits - 3 or
more servings of ½ to 1 cup
Vegetables – 4 or
more servings of 1 cup raw or ½ cup cooked
Legumes (beans,
peas and lentils) – 3 or more ½ cup cooked beans, ¼ cup bean spread, 3 oz tofu
Whole Grains – 6
or more ½ cooked, ¾-1 cup dry cereal, 1 slice of bread, ½ tortilla (bagel = 4
servings)
The idea behind these new food groups is
that meat and fat affect the hormones in our bodies and cause cancer and
inflammatory diseases. Can you live without meat? The fiber in all the fruits
and vegetables, as well as the legumes, is also highly beneficial for removing
toxins from our bodies. That is the basic info on these four new food groups in
a nutshell…but limit the amount of nuts you include in your diet. Some of them
are high in oil. The diet is lacking in Vitamin B12 so it is suggested that
anyone following this eating regime include a good multivitamin that contains
Vitamin B12.
Information from The Cancer Survivor’s
Guide by Barnard and Reilly.
©
2017 Text and photo by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
