A comforting picture of protection
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deuteronomy 33:27a
As our nation observes Mother’s Day, there will be many heartfelt messages sent via cards and other means which convey appreciation for the love, care, support and other blessings which children are grateful they have been given through their mother. One of the blessings which you have likely received from your mom and doesn’t often find its way into the sappy words of Hallmark cards is the idea of protection. Think of who it was that you ran to for reassurance and protection as a child in the midst of a thunderstorm – wasn’t it the comforting, reassuring arms and snuggle of your mother which gave you protection and reassurance?
Our Bible verse for this week reminds us that as much as we found protection and comfort in the arms of our mother, there is an even greater sense of reassurance and protection in the arms and presence of our almighty God. While mom’s arms are certainly a wonderful reassurance for a young child, mom is not always able to control or change a situation, as much as she would try or want to.
In the fifth book of the Bible, God led Moses to write down and describe a picture of God’s protection which reminds us that not only can and does God protect us, he is also in control of every situation in our lives and guides and directs things in the way he knows is best.
Let’s look at the two parts of this week’s verse.
“The eternal God is your refuge”
Remember for a moment the circumstances in which God’s Old Testament people often lived – constantly on the move, fighting one war after another and sometimes living as captives in foreign, heathen lands. God wanted them to know that even as they were on the move that he was with them and would be their refuge or protection. These words convey the idea of our own home in which we feel safe and comfortable. Even though we may not have a castle with a moat and a big wall around our home, God’s wants us to know and feel that in him we have protections like that. He doesn’t just protect us from physical attacks or problems; more importantly he protects us from the temptations and attacks of the devil. In short, God wants us to feel completely safe in his love and presence no matter what is going on in our lives, the lives of those we love or the world around us.
“underneath are the everlasting arms” Perhaps as you read these words you thought of another world picture which God used in the Old Testament in Exodus 19:4 “How I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”. The idea is the comfort and reassurance of having God’s loving, powerful arms cradling us and protecting us from both the troubles of this life and also from the attacks of the devil.
On Sunday, our pastor had a wonderful phrase in his message which ties in to all of this. He put it this way “Moms make God’s love believable and real.” Thank God for his love and protection which is also given to you in the love and protection of your mom! Here’s a simple hymn verse which you can use as a prayer:
Protect us and our loved ones dear
From pain and sorrow, want and fear;
Yet when we must our burdens bear,
“Your will be done” shall be our prayer
(CW 500:4)