ON THE VANGUARD

GOD'S INSURANCE POLICY
You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow. Say this: "God, you're my refuge. I trust in you and I'm safe!" That's right - he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you - under them you're perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm.
Psalm 91:1-4 Message

Last month I received paperwork in the mail advising me that my renter's insurance policy was needing to be renewed. At first I thought, 'it's been a year already?', which then led to the question, 'it's going up that much?' So I started shopping around to see what better deals I could find and still get the same coverage. Last night my journey came to an end as I found an agent from church that was able to help me save on both my renter's and auto policy.
But as I was driving into work today, I was reminded about all the times God has kept me safe. His Word says that He is our shield and rampart, and He will protect us from harm. Now first let me say that this does not mean I should not have insurance. I believe that it is a wise thing to own, especially since evil looms in this world and we are all subject to it. But to put all my faith in an insurance policy is crazy. God is a faithful and loving God, and He protects His people.
In the NIV version of this passage, it reads in verse 4 that, "his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." In the Hebrew, Strong's defines these words as COCHERAH and TSINNAH. A Cocherah is a shield or buckler. Tsinnah is something piercing and also shielding. So to think of these words in this context, God is saying that His firm truth and faithfulness is our fortified and protecting shield. When God says that He will take care of us, we can live in the assurance that He will. When God says that He will protect us from the terror by night, or the arrow that flies by day (verse 5), then we can rest in knowing that He will be the shield that covers us from the onslaught of evil coming our way.
In who is your insurance? Do you trust only the people who cover all states, or in the lizard that searches out the best deal? Are you trusting the farmer to protect you? While it is wise, and sometimes required, to have this world's insurance, I challenge you to not trust soley in these methods. Trust in God to protect you and bring you safety. Believe me, the best 'good hands' you can ever be in are God's safe hands.