Day 8 - Aug 12

Prayer Points for Today: Peace of Israel. Young Adults - for a vibrant ministry.

Staying Under His Umbrella

Strengthen the man you love, the son of your choice. 18 Then we will never abandon you again. Revive us so we can call on your name once more.

Psalm 80:17-18  NLT

It doesn’t rain much in Southern California; subsequently, umbrellas are rarely carried.  As a matter of fact, one is just as likely to see an umbrella in use on a sunny day as a rainy one. Either way, umbrellas are intended for protection from the elements.  Rain bounces off and away from the user, and the canopy deflects the harmful effects of UV rays.

Psalm 79 and 80 reflect the anguish of a nation that has both left the ways of God and experienced the results of doing so.  Phrased in such a way that at first glance it seems as if the Lord orchestrates these punitive acts, verse eighteen indicates that it is man who abandons the Lord, not vice versa.

We are the ones who remove ourselves from under His protection.  The Lord is a shield to all who trust in Him (Psalm 18:30).  When we willingly remove ourselves from His ways and plans, we expose ourselves unnecessarily to hellish attacks.  

Biblical structures of protection and provision include the church, fellowship, family, and obedience.  The church is submitted to Christ as the head, and the prayers and partnership of the leadership protect a congregation.  In the family, the husband/father is the spiritual covering, and a mother is both guide and nurturer for children.  These dynamics are expressions of God’s umbrella of protection.

Individually, when we leave God’s ways, we are on our own.  It might seem as if He doesn’t care or that He has brought calamity upon us, but that is NOT the case.  Just as the prodigal son left the provision of his family, so too when we go our own way we leave Divine safety.

May we never abandon Him again…for our own good.