The Arm of the Lord2️⃣: Protection

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Isaiah 40:11 NIV 

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. 

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Oftentimes I feel vulnerable to so many things. Sometimes it's the loneliness that's inevitable for everyone who's been 'called out of darkness into God's marvelous light.' Other times it's the fear that the devourer, who prowls around like a roaring lion, might get me to stumble and fall. Truth is there are so many things that could cause us to be vulnerable in that sense. 

Living in a fallen world exposes us to all sorts of danger. Remember that Satan is referred to as "the prince of this world." It tells you that being here means we're living where his throne is, which is quite disheartening. The beautiful thing is that Jesus already had that in mind when He made that final prayer for his disciples(bearing in mind that we too are His disciples, as long as we follow His commands):

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John 17:15 NIV

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world

but that you protect them from the evil one.

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Jesus literally takes it upon Himself to take care of us, like a shepherd would his sheep. This is one of the seven profound ways that He revealed Himself to us during His time here on earth, as captured in the Gospel of John. It's a promise so beautiful:

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John 10:11NIV

"I am the good shepherd. 

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep..."

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It's indeed comforting to know that in our most vulnerable state, we are held in the arms of a good shepherd. It's why Scripture actually says that it's the lambs (not the sheep) that He holds the closest. It also says that the lambs are actually carried close to His heart (the NKJV has that as 'in his bosom'). This spells out companionship, in that we're never alone. It also spells out protection, and I say this because that is where one is shielded from danger, injury or any form of harm. It's a place where one is preserved in safety.

It's obvious that protection would not really be complete without defense. The devil, being who he is, always has a way of trying to get hold of us and attack us. He knows that if he ever gets us out of the Father's arms, we'll be vulnerable to his constant attacks. God knows this too, so in this regard we have a promise:

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John 10:27-29 NIV 

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.

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Note that we've now introduced the idea of God's hand. It is the hand of God that guarantees defense. Oftentimes in Scripture the hand of God was what He used to execute wrath and judgement either on Israel's adversaries or on the Israelites themselves when He wanted to punish them. It's why the writer of Hebrews says, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (10:31NIV) 

On the flip side, there are several other accounts in Scripture where it was that same hand that brought about unimaginable success upon those whom it was on. During the rebuilding of the temple and the walls of Jerusalem as recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah respectively, for example, it's recorded severally in both accounts that it was only because the gracious hand of God was upon them that the work was completed. There are different faces to God's hand and it all depends on whether you're in partnership with Him or not. (Refer to Isaiah 66:14b).

Why this is important is because the hand gives us a surety of defense. Though the enemy may try to snatch us away from His loving arms we can be confident that God will fight for us. He cares for every one of His sheep, so much so that He lays down His own life for the sheep. Now check out this contrast:

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John 10:11-13 NIV

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

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God can be trusted to protect you and fight for you. He is that good shepherd.😊

Now it would be unfair to assume that we're always going to be "the good sheep" to whom that wonderful promise of protection is made. We're only humans, and even the Word says that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. We're bound to make mistakes, wander away from the rest of the fold and end up in the wrong hands. It could be so bad that we're a second away from being feasted on by ravenous wolves. (We're still sheep, remember?🙂)

So, what happens when we fall short? When we wander away from the rest of the fold? When we fail to be the sheep that "listen to His voice" and "follow Him"? When we are that one sheep that goes astray? When we expose ourselves to the dangerous schemes of the enemy simply because we are no longer within reach of God's arms? 

More often than not when this happens we end up bound by "the strong man." We end up captives and preys while we thought we were "walking out into the open country" to find "freedom". Good news is, even there, God's got it all covered. 😊

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Isaiah 49:24 NIV

Can plunder be taken from warriors, 

or captives rescued from the fierce?

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The NKJV translates that as,

"Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, 

or the captives of the righteous be delivered?" 

Scripture continues and answers the big question (which is a relief honestly 😂...some questions are usually left to us to research🤧, eg Psalms 11:3).

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Isaiah 49:25-26 NIV 

But this is what the LORD says: "Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.

I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."

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The NKJV has the third line as "And the prey of the terrible shall be delivered". Realize that all this traces it's way back to the very primary role of God's arm that we first talked about, and that is Salvation, redemption and deliverance. It's only because of God's great love and care for His sheep that He puts His own life on the line and says, "I will contend with him that contends with you." 

He brings you and me back into His loving arms, and wreaks havoc in the enemy's camp. With that same mighty hand He fights against everything that tries to come against us. All this He does because of His Love for you and for me. I believe that in that moment we are held close to Him, more than ever before, just like this lost sheep Jesus spoke about in a parable.

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Luke 15:4-6 NIV

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'

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To sum it all up, it is the Father's delight to preserve us in the safety of His arms. He is the one who cares for us. He is the one who fights for us. He alone is our good shepherd, the only one who would lay down His life for us. Though we may have been hurt or mishandled and taken advantage of by the people who were supposed to be our shepherds, we have an amazing promise, that He Himself will be our shepherd. (Refer to Ezekiel 34:11-16, 22-31). 

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Ezekiel 34:16 NIV

I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. 

I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, 

but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. 

I will shepherd the flock with justice. 

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On the bit about companionship, I'ld love for you to listen to a song that I've always loved...it's called Never have to be Alone, by Cece Winans. It's a beautiful reminder to every lonely heart that God indeed is with us. He's never left.

God's Word to us today?

As a shepherd carries a lamb,

I have carried you close to my heart.

You never have to be alone... 😊