Peace amid Pain - Protection by God (1)

The experience of the New Birth is Part one of the treatment, and not all of it. That’s why Apostle Paul says “through faith are shielded by God's power” (1 Peter 1:5). There is another thing for us to experience, for we are not born again from God, and then deserted by Him in this wicked world. The birth from God solves the problem of our miserable past; but what about our present?

Concerning the present, Apostle Peter did not say that we are protected and shielded by a power from God, but by God’s power; it is His own power. We have not only obtained birth from God but we have got protection from Him too. Thus be assured dear reader that “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you” (Psalms 91:7). It’s a strong secure protection. Even Satan knows about it and admits it, that’s why he talked to God about Job saying “Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side?” (Job 1:10).

You may ask yourself, why do I fall sick, why does my body weaken, Why there are problems in the family and pressures at work, in spite of the presence of the Divine protection? Dear, we always notice what get through the Divine Fence by the permission of God, whilst we do not see what the Fence has prevented from coming to us. Yes there are pains but we do not enjoy only strengthening from inside, we have a Divine Protection from the outside.

From Job’s experience, we can very clearly see the outer protection when Satan acknowledged it saying "Have You not made a hedge around him". We also can see it very clearly with Jacob when his uncle Laban came out to him and said: "It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad" (Genesis31:29). God did not only prevent Laban from harming Jacob, He also warned him from talking to Jacob. Hence whatever reaches us, even from words, is by God’s approval; and nothing can penetrate the divine protection without His permission.

We have a protection that comforts and encourages us, so we say with David "The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalms 27:1).

Magdy Samuel