Protect Me – Devotion 220 – SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

Lord, protect me. Protect my mouth from speaking hatred or spewing meanness. Protect my heart from exposure to the things which stain. Protect my mind, that I will think good things which bring You glory, Lord. Protect my spirit, that I will not allow those who mean evil to beat me down. Protect me, Lord, that I may serve you.

We don’t often consider how exposed we can be. We too easily allow others to influence our hearts and our minds. We give control to those who should not be allowed to have control over us. We allow ourselves to be manipulated without ever realizing it has happened. Before we know it, we are not the people we sought to be. We don’t realize how much protection we really do need. But God does. And so many times, we read how the Psalmist does.

When we are in times of physical war, we seek protection. When we clearly see the enemy, we become defensive and ready – prepared for what is ahead. But when the enemy sneaks into our lives undetected, we are unprepared. We miss how we have allowed others to control our attitude or steal our joy. We don’t recognize when we have lost all sense of who we are and given ourselves to things which are unhealthy (spiritually, physically, and emotionally). We miss it because this evil is hidden among the good.

So today, we seek protection. May God protect us from those things which we do not see or recognize, but that harm us in so many ways. May God give us clean and fresh air to breathe so that we might see him. May God cover us with his wings so that we are not exposed to the harshness that can so easily surround us. May God protect our hearts, our mouths, our spirits, that we will be the instruments of his peace and love. And may we live, truly live, protected by the hand of the Almighty God.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 141:8-10

⁸But my eyes are turned toward you, O God, my Lord;
    in you I seek refuge; do not leave me defenseless.
⁹Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me,
    and from the snares of evildoers.
¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
    while I alone escape.