He is My Shield by Norma Gail

“He hides away sound and godly Wisdom and stores it for the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him); He is a shield to those who walk uprightly and in integrity, that He may guard the paths of justice; yes, He preserves the way of His saints.” Proverbs 2:7, 8

2MefromHim Devotional

Angry words and rude accusations hit me out of the blue. No one expects an overt, personal attack while leading a Bible study. I responded out of years of training and that calmed the situation for the time being. God had to put the words in my mouth because I didn’t know what to say. I did a couple of things that I didn’t want to, but felt God wanted me to do and they seemed to illicit a positive reaction.

Still I was afraid. I felt threatened, uncertain about how to react to a situation which was totally out of my realm of experience. I went to God in prayer. I talked to my husband, a couple of pastors, those people in church authority who could guide me.

Psalm 46 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” How easy it is to panic and forget He is right there with us. I like the wording, “ever-present help.” I find the Psalms so calming when I’m uncertain and unsettled.

I had to face the same situation for a matter of weeks. In times such as that I think about the things I would tell my children or my friends to comfort and encourage them. My words usually come from the scriptures. They are comforting and holy and wise, but often I don’t follow my own advice.

The godliest people I know memorize a lot of scripture. They spend a lot of time meditating on its meaning. Charles Spurgeon once said, “If those who spend so many hours in idle company, light reading, and useless pastimes, could learn wisdom, they would find more profitable society and more interesting engagements in meditation than in the vanities which now have such charms for them.”

I can judge how close I am to the Lord by what comes out of my mouth when I am challenged, frustrated, or angry, my own thoughts, or the wisdom of God?

I spend time with loved ones because I want to be nearer to them, I want to be like those I admire. If I love God we will spend much time with Him, in prayer and in studying and meditating on His word. I can often look back on my day and know what parts of it were wasted. If I spent that time drawing closer to God, when challenged, it would always be Him and not I who responds.

Choose today to spend more time gaining godly wisdom. His words and His Spirit are our shield.

About the author:

Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, set in Scotland and New Mexico released in April 2014. She has led weekly women’s Bible studies for 19 years. Her devotionals, poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. She is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 38 years. They have two adult children.