FIRE PROTECTED!
16th Dec 2015
Are you anxious about the world we live in? It’s hard not to be, and yet we are instructed to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; and His peace will pass your understanding.” (Philippians 4:6)
In Zechariah 2:4-5, we are told that the walls of Jerusalem are broken down and useless as a source of protection, but the Lord Himself will be a “wall of fire” around the city to defend it. When the people of Israel were fleeing from Egyptian rule, the Lord was a cloud by day and a fire by night, a canopy over them giving them divine protection.
You can live in fear, recluse like, avoiding all public places, or you can live a normal life, trusting in God’s protection; His personal “wall of fire” for you. If you are living in contact with Jesus, He is able to direct you and care for you, warning you if you are straying into danger. Proverbs 1:33 says, “Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
Remember, our God is the Lord of Heaven and earth, and as such He oversees the whole earth, and is not unaware of all things that are happening in the nations at this present time. So I exhort you to live in personal peace, demonstrate what that looks like, be prepared to talk about your lack of anxiety and why.
Peace is a wonderful, priceless gift, and as darkness and fear increase, as a child of God you can live without anxiety or limitation. From this place you can pray for God to have mercy on our world and on our loved ones.
Psalm 40:11 is a good basis for prayer, “Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth always protect me.”
We so need God to break into world history, as He did at the first Christmas.
by Joyce Sibthorpe
