Zechariah 12, 1 Peter 1

(Zechariah 12)

(vs.8) “On that day the LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the LORD going before them.”

Father, I pray for your shield of protection. I pray that as we follow you and seek you as our God that we will find strength in you, that our church would be a house of prayer and worship and that you, dear lord, would go before us each moment of our journey.

(1 Peter 1)

(vs 5-7) …for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Here’s that word again from Zechariah: Shield. We are shielded by God’s power. It literally means “to be a watcher in advance, i.e. To mount guard as a sentinel (post spies at gates); figuratively, to hem in, protect.”

This is what’s available to us through our God and his power. Scripture goes on to say that in this we can greatly rejoice. And although we “may suffer grief for a while”, those moments come only that our faith may be proved genuine and in that, glory and honor to God and HIS power. Once again we are reminded of what God brings to the table. This is not of our strength, but his.

God, give us strength that our faith might be proven genuine.