The Great Protector

  I am not a fighter.  That is, I don't engage in "fisticuffs" if I can avoid it in any way.  I do recall some times on the playground when the local bully shoved me once too often and I let him know that I was not to be bullied anymore.  He got the message.  I will, however, seek the peaceful route even to the point of avoidance of an individual that is going to cause me trouble.  I am not wealthy enough to be able to afford a body guard and then I found this verse that tells me that I already have one.   Psalm 34:7 says, "The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." 
        I don't know just how God does this but I am sure glad that He does.  The word "angel" in this verse is just one of 212 different references in the Bible.  When you begin looking at just some of those verses, you begin to realize just busy those angels are.  Some people seem to require much more protection than others but it is certainly good to  know that there is an angel protecting you.  When you look at this verse, you can see that the act of this angel is much like an umbrella.  An umbrella will protect you from the rain as long as you are under it.  If you leave your umbrella in the car on a rainy day, then you are going to get wet.  If you walk with your umbrella at your side, then you are going to get wet.  You may have access to the biggest and best umbrella in the world, but if it is not over your head, you are going to get wet.  When you look at what the verse says, you notice a little phrase, "...that fear Him..."   This has the sense of being reverent towards God.  You have respect for God and you endeavor to please Him in your life.  When you are doing this, then the angel of the LORD is there as your protector.  There are many people who step out from under His protection by dishonoring God in the breaking of His laws.  How do you respect God in your life?  Are you like the Psalmist who wrote Psalm 119 and who have a great love for the Word of God?  Does God's Word occupy a prominent place, yes, the first place in your life today?  We will probably have to say "no" in many of those cases but we endeavor to keep growing in His Word day by day.  Romans 12:1-2 remind us, " I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."  Praise God today for His protection.