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Psalms 91:4b

“…his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

Psalms 91 is one of the key chapters in the Bible that focuses on protection for the believer. We usually think of God’s protection in terms of His doing something specific, like parting the Red Sea, putting an entire army into confusion, or sending an angel to fight a battle. But as I read through this chapter, I noticed something interesting in the second half of verse 4. Our protection was described in terms of one of God’s character traits, and not His actions: His faithfulness.

In the Middle East during King David’s time, soldiers generally used two sizes of shields for protection. The small shield, sometimes called a buckler, was round or oval and used for close combat. The larger shield was 3 to 4 feet in length and used to protect a soldier from “shin to chin”. When soldiers lined up next to each other in tight formation, they would form a “wall of shields” which made it difficult for the enemy to perpetrate.

Shields were mobile, and could be moved quickly to protect the individual soldier from danger from all angles.

Ramparts were the solid outer wall of a fortified city. They were massive and immovable. They protected all the occupants within a city.

God’s faithfulness is similar to both. His faithfulness extends into your personal life and circumstances, as well as situations that affect you and your circle of influence. His faithfulness has the “protective power” to completely encompass your life. And since He is God, nothing is impossible for Him.

The next time you pray (hopefully today), seek after Him as a Person, instead of the things He can do or give you. He desires a deep personal relationship with you where more of His nature is revealed each time “you two meet”.

And as you grow in your fellowship with Him, the protection you need will naturally be available. Why? Because His faithfulness and everlasting love for you are in His nature (Romans 8:38-39).