Tag: promises

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God Is Your Shield

The Manna Chef

This morning, I read Genesis 15:1b (ESV), “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”  I then looked at Genesis 15:1 (AMP), “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; Your reward [for obedience] shall be very great.”

I took a moment to really think about what it means to have the Lord as my Shield.  First, I thought about the shield of faith (part of the whole armor of God) that is mentioned in Ephesians 6:16 (AMP), “Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”  I have the responsibility to choose to lift up the shield of faith, above all, and that very shield can extinguish what the enemy throws at me.  How many times have felt like the blows were coming from every direction?  Use your shield, Sisters!  Why don’t we choose the armor of God daily when He promises results if we exercise our faith in Him?

Then I looked back at Genesis 15:1, where God told Abram, “You don’t have to be afraid because I am your shield.”  God is your Shield, Sisters.  Think about what that means.  The Lord is your Protector, and He is your ultimate Defense.  He covers you every day.  You need not even respond when others seek to attack your character, your job performance, your reputation, or even your name.  God is your Shield.  And sometimes that protection requires us to be hidden from ordinary observation.  (Read Psalm 91 when you have a moment.)  You don’t need to be afraid of the arrows of the enemy.  As a matter of fact, God can prevent those arrows from even reaching you. 

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Just as He Said

The Manna Chef

How many of you read Matthew 28:5-6, as we all prepared to celebrate Resurrection Sunday?  And for anyone who didn’t, you can read it right here:

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.  Come and see the place where He lay.”  (NIV)

It’s a very familiar passage, describing the moment that Mary and Mary Magdalene search for the body of Jesus at the tomb—only to find that He really did rise from the grave, “just as He said.” 

Sisters, this is not a Resurrection message—well, not directly.  Every day, we should celebrate the fact that Jesus volunteered to walk in the flesh, die a horrific death on the cross, and then rise with all power to restore our relationship with the Father.  Jesus took my place and yours on that cross, and He finished what He came here to do.  (Go ahead and praise Him right there!)

But what I want to bring to your attention are those four words in verse 6:  just as He said.  Jesus did everything that He said He would do.  Go back and take a look through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  He healed the sick, raised the dead, restored what was lost, and set free those who were bound.  And He didn’t allow Himself to be restricted by the confines of rules and traditions.  As a matter of fact, He moved in a way that was revolutionary at the time.  He hung out with people who were undesirable.  He healed on the Sabbath.  He spoke and moved in ways that were untraditional.  And when it was all said and done, He did what He said He would do.  When Jesus spoke, circumstances changed.  Don’t believe me?  Remember in Mark 4:39 when Jesus simply spoke to the storm and told the waves to be still—and immediately the stormed calmed?   

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Act Like it

The Manna Chef

We pray and seek direction from God daily.  We read and study His Word, and we truly believe that His Word is true.  And we apply His Word to our lives, right?  Well, God is saying to us that it’s time to really claim His promises and live the way He has called us to live. 

The Holy Spirit recently challenged me to walk in faith concerning something God had said to me.  “If you really believe Me, then act like it.  Don’t allow anything to take your focus away from Me and what I have said concerning you.  You say daily that I have the final say and that I am in control of all things at all times.  Well, if you really believe that is true, then ACT like it.”

I’ll admit, I had to marinate on that. God was reminding me of Who He is to me and who I am to Him and in Him.  Had I really claimed the promises that God has made to me?  If so, what is keeping me from really walking in them?  And then I wondered, “Am I really encouraging the people around me to walk in the promises of God for real?  Am I leading by example?”

God is not slack concerning His promises and He is certainly not a man that He should lie.  If He said it, it’s a done deal.  And then a thought popped into my head to justify my responses:  I’m only human, right?  Well, actually that’s not right.  That’s a copout.  I am human, but I’m not only human.  I carry the Spirit of the Living God on the inside of me.  Favor precedes me daily.  Goodness and mercy are right behind me.  I’m NEVER alone, even though I experience bouts of loneliness sometimes.  I am human, but I am one of God’s chosen vessels.  So, when the enemy feeds me that garbage to make me wallow in self-pity and despair, I just have to tap into the Holy Spirit.  He reminds me that I am more than a conqueror.  I am the head and not the tail.  I am the apple of God’s eye.  God has angels encamped around me daily.  (and I sure do need them!) 

I wish I could just tell the people of God, if God has blessed you, then ACT like it.  If God has healed your body, claim your healing and act like you are healed.  When pain hits your body, don’t ignore it.  Address the pain, do what you need to do, and remind God of His Word concerning you.  Recite healing Scriptures.  Remind God of what He said.  Whatever you have placed before the Lord, seal it with a Scripture.  Ask God that His will be done—and then prepare yourself for it.  And then when He answers, believe it and actually claim it.  Don’t get all hyped (accepting it only on pure emotion) and then forget to allow it to take root in your soul.  Allow that seed to be firmly planted so that your fruit will not only be produced, but that it will remain.  And know this, you will need to be reminded of that Word, trust me on that! 

God had to remind me that I have the authority to speak directly to the storm, to remind the winds that they are subject to Him.  And I am a vessel for His use.  I need to act like it. 

We, the people of God, have forgotten who we are.  We are walking around as if we have no authority. 

God has done so much in our lives, but for some reason we have forgotten that too.  The Bible says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.”   I think we need to do a better job of that.

We can no longer allow the enemy any room to wreak havoc in our minds, our homes, our marriages, or our jobs.  None of that!  We know what God said.  Now we have to act like it.  We have to stand firmly on God’s Word like we know that we know it’s the truth.  If we really believe Him, I mean REALLY believe that God is Who He says He is and that we belong to Him, then it’s time to act like it.