It is good to meditate on the Word of God, to take it in beyond the eye and ear and turn it round in your mind. The food we eat is quickly stripped of nutritional value by our bodies, but not so the scriptures: they remain just as practically useful and spiritually vital as ever. God's Word will never pass away, and therefore as we feed on it we are renewed continually. The Living Bread (who is Christ) which comes down from heaven does not grow stale or old but teaches us to live by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God.
I jotted down thoughts yesterday concerning a passage which God is still using to work in me. Psalm 84:11 says, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." I truly enjoy spiritual metaphors and similes contained in scripture, and I remain intrigued by what the psalmist said: "the LORD God is a sun and shield." He is not "like" a sun or a shield but wrote metaphorically that God is a sun and shield. Often when I come across a statement like this it is good to pause and consider the implications of what is being said. Knowledge of the functions of the sun and a shield sheds light on the nature of God and His relationship to us.
The sun brings light to our planet and life for plants and animals alike. Without the heat of the sun all would be a frozen wasteland. The sun governs the day and the orientation of it in the heavens changes during each season. The sun consistently rises in the east and sets in the west, and many travellers have oriented themselves according to its ordered position in the heavens. A sunrise and sunset can be breathtakingly beautiful, and no camera can adequately capture such brilliance. As the sun is critical for life on this planet, so is God indispensable as our Creator. He smiles down upon us in every season, for He has established the days, weeks, months, seasons, and years of our lives. He gives light to men who live in darkness, and warms us with His presence. He is ever faithful, revealing Himself in splendour and glory for all who have eyes to see. No one can look directly at the sun for its brilliance without potential eye injuries, and no one can look upon the face of the Almighty and survive. He is ever glorious and causes His light to shine upon all.
The psalmist wrote God is also a shield. Shields were objects designed for the purpose of personal armour. Small shields were used actively to fend off attacks, whilst large shields provided passive protection from projectiles. A shield was a distinguishing feature of warriors carried for defence in battle. The material and design of shields carried by ancient people aid archaeologists to determine rank or class. Some groups employed the shields together in protective formations. Unknown to the one who penned the Psalm, the word "shield" has expanded due to technology, like "shielded cable" or a "heat shield" on spacecraft - but the designed function of the shield to protect remains the same. God is a shield for us, our protector and provider. He is our defence and refuge, the One who is greater than all. As chicks huddle beneath their mother for protection, so we seek comfort and grace in our LORD. He has even provided us the shield of faith through the Holy Spirit which extinguishes all the fiery darts Satan throws at us.
God is a sun and shield, and in light of what follows we can rejoice: "the LORD will give grace and glory." The sun can burn our skin and scorch plants, and shields can be heavy and tiring to wield: yet God will give grace and glory. He has power to consume as well as power to give life. We are not deserving of God's presence or protection, but He has chosen us by His grace. He as invited us to behold His glory in our crucified and risen Saviour Jesus Christ who is the Light of the World. God's glory fills the heavens, and this declaration transcends all human language. God is gracious and glorious, but He also gives grace and glory. Which king on earth ever freely gave his glory to any but his own son? God did make Jesus Christ His only begotten Son glorious, but He will glorify us with Him. He says to those who trust and fear Him, "Friend, come up higher! You are not only a guest but a beloved child I have adopted as my own." Praise the LORD, our Sun and Shield who gives grace and glory.
I jotted down thoughts yesterday concerning a passage which God is still using to work in me. Psalm 84:11 says, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." I truly enjoy spiritual metaphors and similes contained in scripture, and I remain intrigued by what the psalmist said: "the LORD God is a sun and shield." He is not "like" a sun or a shield but wrote metaphorically that God is a sun and shield. Often when I come across a statement like this it is good to pause and consider the implications of what is being said. Knowledge of the functions of the sun and a shield sheds light on the nature of God and His relationship to us.
The sun brings light to our planet and life for plants and animals alike. Without the heat of the sun all would be a frozen wasteland. The sun governs the day and the orientation of it in the heavens changes during each season. The sun consistently rises in the east and sets in the west, and many travellers have oriented themselves according to its ordered position in the heavens. A sunrise and sunset can be breathtakingly beautiful, and no camera can adequately capture such brilliance. As the sun is critical for life on this planet, so is God indispensable as our Creator. He smiles down upon us in every season, for He has established the days, weeks, months, seasons, and years of our lives. He gives light to men who live in darkness, and warms us with His presence. He is ever faithful, revealing Himself in splendour and glory for all who have eyes to see. No one can look directly at the sun for its brilliance without potential eye injuries, and no one can look upon the face of the Almighty and survive. He is ever glorious and causes His light to shine upon all.
The psalmist wrote God is also a shield. Shields were objects designed for the purpose of personal armour. Small shields were used actively to fend off attacks, whilst large shields provided passive protection from projectiles. A shield was a distinguishing feature of warriors carried for defence in battle. The material and design of shields carried by ancient people aid archaeologists to determine rank or class. Some groups employed the shields together in protective formations. Unknown to the one who penned the Psalm, the word "shield" has expanded due to technology, like "shielded cable" or a "heat shield" on spacecraft - but the designed function of the shield to protect remains the same. God is a shield for us, our protector and provider. He is our defence and refuge, the One who is greater than all. As chicks huddle beneath their mother for protection, so we seek comfort and grace in our LORD. He has even provided us the shield of faith through the Holy Spirit which extinguishes all the fiery darts Satan throws at us.
God is a sun and shield, and in light of what follows we can rejoice: "the LORD will give grace and glory." The sun can burn our skin and scorch plants, and shields can be heavy and tiring to wield: yet God will give grace and glory. He has power to consume as well as power to give life. We are not deserving of God's presence or protection, but He has chosen us by His grace. He as invited us to behold His glory in our crucified and risen Saviour Jesus Christ who is the Light of the World. God's glory fills the heavens, and this declaration transcends all human language. God is gracious and glorious, but He also gives grace and glory. Which king on earth ever freely gave his glory to any but his own son? God did make Jesus Christ His only begotten Son glorious, but He will glorify us with Him. He says to those who trust and fear Him, "Friend, come up higher! You are not only a guest but a beloved child I have adopted as my own." Praise the LORD, our Sun and Shield who gives grace and glory.
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