“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” Psalm 18:2
Just a few days ago, these verses came alive to me in a whole new way. As I write this, I am enjoying some time away with my family near Seattle, Washington. The house where my wife grew up has become somewhat of a second home to us; a place where we can watch movies, go boating on the lake and go on extended runs in the surrounding wilderness.
It was during one of these runs where these verses came alive. As I was running in the thick of the forest (across the street from my in—law’s home), I came face—to—face with a wild black bear! I cannot remember a time when I was so suddenly overwhelmed with paralyzing fear. Growing up in Utah, I have seen my fair share of wild life; but I have NEVER run INTO a bear.
The bear was less than 20 feet away from me and I knew it saw me. In my mind, I prayed that the Lord would be a shield around me and protect my life as I started to quietly back away. The bear watched me move until I was no longer in sight and than I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction, towards the house.
Once back home, I shared my whole story to a very captive audience. I joked with them that it would be just like me to be mauled by a bear on vacation. But, it also gave me the opportunity to share the truth of these verses: God did indeed protect me and was, in fact, a shield around me.
This week, it is unlikely that any of you will come upon a bear face to face — but, it is highly likely that you will need the Lord. Whatever the circumstances may be, cry out to Him! He is our protection and our shield against the world, the flesh, the devil… and even bears!
Protected,
Steele
Posted in A Word from the Pastor