Friday, July 31, 2015

August 1, 2015

"But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.…" Isaiah 53:5-6

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? I cry out by day but you do not answer me, by night, I find no rest. You are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors out their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”  Psalm 22:1-7

Love protects! You always protect what you love, there's no denying that!

We have established that God's affection is your protection! His love puts a covering of Divine protection over everything and everyone He loves!

I referenced the story of Adam and Eve and how God protected them from themselves and their own rebellious spirit. I showed you examples of God's protection of His people in Egypt during the plagues. I referenced how God delivered His people in the Passover through the blood of a lamb on the door posts. And I showed you how He protected His people from Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea! What threatened to destroy them God used to deliver them!

Today I want to show you one heart-breaking example of one time God did not protect someone He loved. That was the time God allowed His beloved Son, Jesus to suffer a cruel persecution and death in order to cover you and me from our sins! The Father turned His back on His own Son and stayed His protective hand to allow His Son to become the Lamb of God Who took away the sins of the world.

God's love for you caused Him to lift His protection from His own Son! God left His Son uncovered in order to cover your sin.

Now do you see what I mean when I say, "His affection is your protection?"






July 31, 2015

The third example of God’s great protection is the dramatic story of the Red Sea. Let me again illustrate God’s protection from a few selected verses:

“Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt. ”Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.” Exodus 14:19-31

Let me highlight several phrases from this amazing story:

1) “The pillar of cloud (and fire) moved from before them to behind them……”

God literally had their back!

2) “Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side…”

For their protection God covered His people with light and kept the Egyptians in the darkness.

3) “During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion…..”

The last watch of the night was the hours from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. That was generally considered the time of heightened activity by demonic spirits. But during those hours God had them covered!

4) “God turned their destruction into their deliverance – His affection was their protection!”

When His people were sure Moses had led them into a vulnerable place and God had forsaken them to be destroyed by the Egyptians, God proved His love and faithful by miraculously turning their destruction into their deliverance! They learned what you and I must remember, God’s protection is as sure as His love!

This thought reminds me of a precious promise from another portion of I Corinthians, No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” I Corinthians 10:13

His affection IS your protection!