Devotional : Surrounded by God’s Protection

It is said that Missionary John Paton’s mission house was once surrounded and on the verge of being attacked by hostile natives. As darkness fell and the threat became more serious, Paton and all in the compound, used the only weapon they had; prayer. As they prayed, the attack did not materialize and the threat ended. Much later, as one of the tribal chiefs turned to Jesus, it was discovered that on the eventful night, the attackers had seen a vast army (God’s army) surrounding the mission house with a protective cordon. They realized it would be futile to attack as the compound was securely and strongly protected.

Living in an increasingly insecure world has its real challenges. Dangers, terrorism, new strains of viruses, economic struggles and broken/displaced families surround us on all sides. In the midst of these tensions that can crush our peace and increase our levels of anxiety, it’s comforting to know that we can look to our God, the living God, to surround us with His protection.

The composer of Psalm 125 gives us a vivid picture of what God’s protection looks like. He says, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore” (vs2). We hear a lot today about ‘surround sound’. This is ‘surround protection’!

In 2 Kings 6:13-17, the Prophet Elisha was in grave danger in a city called Dothan. The King of Aram was desperate to get his hands on Elisha and sent a strong armed force to surround the city by night. When Elisha’s servant awoke the following morning, he was terrified by the sight of the vast army surrounding the city. Elisha however was unperturbed and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them’ (vs16). As the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, the scripture says that “he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (vs17). God had surrounded His Prophet with His mighty protection!

He is the same God today. Doesn’t the Bible say that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8)? The Apostle John further adds, “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4 KJV). Doesn’t this include anything satan or the world can throw at us? Let’s therefore trust God to surround us with the protection needed for ourselves and our families.

“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance”. (Psalm 32:7)

Prayer – Lord may your mighty protection surround us every day. Keep us confident in that trust! We pray In Jesus’ name. Amen.

No evil can surround us when we remain surrounded by God’s protection!