Arm of Protection

When I was a child, and probably when you were too, and riding along in the passenger seat of the family car, you had more protection than a seat belt. Your Mother's arm of protection. Like an automatic reflex, when she would have to stop quickly, that right arm would swing out to hold me back and protect me from jerking forward. The ironic thing was this reflex happened even in the smallest of stops where no real danger was about to ensue. But Mom's instincts were to protect her precious cargo from any pathway of harm. I thought this reflex developed after becoming a Mom, but not so. After I began driving for a while and began to be a shuttle service to friends and other's children, I realized my own instinctive reflex was there. Yes, I've turned into my Mother. Not a bad thing to morph into.

Last week during one of my devotions, this passage was used....

"Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." - Exodus 14:13-14

The first part of that passage talks about deliverance and not just that the Lord will bring deliverance, but the very irritant you are being delivered from (for the Israelites, those pesky Egyptians) you will see no more. How many times when I'm in the midst of difficult people or difficult circumstances do I pray for deliverance, or for the Red Sea to swallow them up? This promise to the Israelites is just as true today. The Lord wants to deliver us, we just need not be afraid and stand firm. Easier said than done sometimes.

The second part really spoke to me "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." Sweet! I've got the LORD going to battle for me!! But, oh, wait, I have to be still? Are you kidding? Surely the Lord needs me to sharpen His Sword, load up his slingshot with some sharp rocks, or just scream "Boo!!" at the enemy. I can't just be still, He needs my help! He may need my guidance and instruction. My nature isn't to be still....being still is for when I'm sleeping. And, then the Spirit convicted me...."My child, you need ONLY to be still." Only be still? Really? Yes. The Lord doesn't need my help in the battle; He just asks me to not be afraid, stand firm and be still. Simple instructions, difficult to follow. Until I remembered my earlier visual....

When danger comes, God swings out His Arm of Protection to cover us. No matter how big or small the danger ahead, He simply instinctively swings out that Arm of Protection to guard us, turns to us, gives us a wink and says, "I got this one." And He always does.