KCM’s outreach department recently returned from Conroe, Texas, where we partnered with Pastors Tom and Sue Lanza of Harvest Family Church and Feed the Children to host The REACH! Because of your partnership we were able to feed 400 families and provide 800 children with backpacks and school supplies to start the school year off with a BANG!
THE REACH is an outreach of Kenneth Copeland Ministries with Riley Stephenson, KCM’s minister of evangelism. The mission of this outreach is to provide physical needs for the families and meeting them where they are spiritually with encouragement, love and most importantly—JESUS!
Four hundred families received THREE boxes of food and household necessities to fill their pantries. Eight hundred children received a FREE BACKPACK FILLED WITH SCHOOL SUPPLIES. But most importantly over 1,000 people attended the service and heard the WORD of the Lord and 173 PEOPLE RECEIVED JESUS as their personal Lord and Savior! Praise God!
Circumstances can be devastating to people’s lives—even if they already know the Lord—but our hope is to leave everyone we meet with the love of the Father, a new hope for the future, and the assurance that they are not forgotten and that “JESUS IS LORD!” over any circumstance they face.
Together, we’re changing lives and making a REAL difference!
Increasing His Kingdom,
The KCM Disaster Relief Team
P.S. Click here to find out how you can be a part of helping KCM Partners and their communities recover. And…keep up with the KCM Disaster Relief team by visiting KCM’s YouTube channel or KCM’s blog on a regular basis.
You can live free from fear! Here are four bold steps you can make today and kick fear to the curb!
In World War II, Nazi Germany launched a series of air raids against the city of London. During those bombings the residents of London would evacuate their homes and businesses and take cover in designated underground shelters.
On one particular night of bombings, a woman turned up missing from her neighborhood shelter. A few days later some of her neighbors saw her and asked if everything was all right.
“Everything’s fine,” she replied.
“Then why were you not in the shelter the other night?” they asked.
“It’s smelly down there,” she said, “and I don’t like it.”
“Aren’t you afraid the bombs will get you?” her friends asked.
“Oh, no,” she said confidently. “I read the scripture where it says my God neither slumbers nor sleeps. So I decided there was no use in us both being awake. I just prayed, ‘Lord, I praise You, I thank You and I place myself in Your love—and I’m not going to that shelter anymore.’”
Now there’s a believer with a revelation of God’s love. And it was that revelation of love that allowed this woman to overcome fear and roll the care of her well-being over onto God.
As it turned out, just a few days later, enemy aircraft came through and bombed that neighborhood and leveled every house. Every house, that is, except for the woman who chose to remain in the comfort of her home…and in the comfort of God’s love.
#1 – Leave No Room For Fear
As God’s beloved and anointed children, it’s amazing that we have not taken greater advantage of our authority and security that lies in the love of God, as this woman in London did.
Instead, through our ignorance and man-made, religious doctrines, we’ve allowed the devil to oppress us and keep us in all kinds of bondage. And all because of fear.
You may be wondering what possible connection there is between God’s love for you and having no fear. That connection is found in 1 John 4:
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love: and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear…” (verses 15-18).
God is love. And in love, there is no fear. Not an ounce.
What’s more, that love—which leaves no room for fear—dwells in us. So neither should there be any fear in us. After all, we’ve not been given a spirit of fear, “but of power, and of love…” (2 Timothy 1:7).
For fear to enter into the heart of a believer, it must come from the outside, from the fear-infested world in which we live. And that’s where knowing and believing the love of God comes into play for us.
Just moments before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed specifically for us “that they [we] may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them [us], as thou hast loved me….And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:23, 26).
The reason Jesus gave up His place in glory, came to earth, took on the limitations of human flesh, then went to the cross and suffered and died, was so He could make that transaction: “that the love wherewith You [God] loved Me [Jesus]may be in them [us].”
God loves us with the same love that He loves Jesus. And if He loves us to that degree, then He will certainly protect us to that degree. But we have to know and believe His love.
You knew the love of God the moment you were born again. It was, in fact, love that recreated you. It was love that delivered you from the power of darkness, and translated you into the kingdom of His dear Son or “the Son of His love” as it literally translates (Colossians 1:13).
But how well do you know that love?
“Well I know God loves me, Brother Copeland. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say He loves me just like He loves Jesus.”
Then you’re not walking in His love by faith. You’re falling back on what your flesh—and probably the devil—is telling you.
The times you don’t feel God’s presence or feel God’s love, those are the very times you had better believe He’s there and believe His love for you. Otherwise, your flesh will let you down. Your mind will let you down. And Satan will use everything he can to pressure and push you away from the love of God.
I don’t care how “spiritually dry” you might feel. That doesn’t change a thing. The Word says the same thing today as it said yesterday. And it says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
The Word is God. And God is love. So the Word is love.
Get up every day determined to let only the Word—love—tell you what you feel—not your flesh, not your circumstances and certainly not the devil. Listen to love tell you, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).
Remember, when we have known and believed the love of God, “herein is our love made perfect” (1 John 4:17).
#2 – Keep His Commandments
Another aspect of our love being perfected is found in 1 John 2:4-5: “He that saith, I know him [I know God, I know Jesus, I know love], and keepeth not his [God’s] commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his [God’s] word, in him verily is the love of God perfected.”
When you keep God’s Word, you allow the love of God to run its full course in your life. You reach that place of allowing God to do what He designed Himself to do on the inside of you. It’s what God had in mind when He created Adam. It’s what He was in Jesus. And that’s exactly what He plans to be in you.
But notice that the key to being perfected in God’s love is tied to keeping His commandments—His Word. First John 3:23 says: “And this is his [God’s] commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”
This verse refers to the commandment Jesus gave to His disciples: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you…” (John 13:34).
Love one another as I have loved you…
“We can’t do that, Jesus!”
Of course we can’t. That’s why 1 John 3:23 precedes the commandment to love with “Believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ. Then we can love one another.
That changes the complexion of this thing. It takes love out of the emotional realm and puts it in the spiritual realm. In other words, it’s going to take believing on the Name of Jesus the Anointed One to be able to love one another the way He did. It’s going to take faith.
Also realize from these two passages that we’re talking about a commandment from Jesus. If He commanded us to love, then somehow He must have equipped us to do it.
Besides, Jesus did not love us with some human form of love. He loved us with the love of God—and that’s not just any love.
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus used a Greek word for love that was as uncommon as He was. It’s the word we know as agape.
The people of Jesus’ day didn’t really understand the word because it was not a word used in conversation. It was primarily used in classic writings and so forth.
We find agape used in the writings of the Apostle Paul, particularly in that great passage on love, 1 Corinthians 13. But even the English translators translated love as charity, which is closer to the true meaning because charity is more than just love.
Charity is actually a love that has a driving desire to give. So agape, as used by Jesus, is more than just loving one another. It is loving one another to the point that you are willing to give yourself.
#3 – Commit to the Commandment of Love
In John 21:15-17, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?” or “Do you agape Me?” Peter had to answer three times before he got it right because he was trying to answer Jesus in the language of the day. He just didn’t understand what Jesus was saying.
Agape is the key to the command to love. It’s the key to loving as Jesus loved.
To get the love of God—the agape kind of love—over to mankind, Jesus entered into a blood covenant with God. With the sacrifice of His own blood, Jesus said, “I agape!”
To agape is an act of the will. It is a spoken covenant from which there is no retreat, and about which there is no debate.
So you can get in it and receive it by partaking of His covenant, or you can stay on the outside of it and go straight to hell. Either way, God will love you all the way there because the covenant has been made. He said, I love! And that was that.
Jesus used His will to love. And you must use your will to receive.
But without the help of God, we don’t have the natural ability to love unconditionally. And He doesn’t expect us to keep the commandment to love by our flesh, our natural man. That’s where the old covenant was a problem. The children of Israel demonstrated just how weak this flesh really is.
Today, however, we have the blood of Jesus, we have His Name that is above every name and we have the Spirit of Almighty God dwelling inside us. That’s Love Himself living in us. All we have to do is make the decision to keep the commandment. God will take care of the rest.
But if we don’t commit to the commandment to love, we face the consequences in 1 John 2:10-11: “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”
#4 – Judge Yourself
Pure and simple…hate is strife. But our idea of hate is that surge of emotion—rage—just before you decide whether or not to do serious damage to someone because you’re angry with them. But not so.
When Adam was changed from life to death, his faith turned into fear. And the love of God inside him turned into hate because he was now connected to Satan.
Yes, there are different degrees of hate, but it’s still all hate. And the slightest bit of it is just as mean and dangerous as the highest degree of it.
You may not be out to kill someone, but you’re killing yourself. Because that’s what hate will do. It will kill you, it will age you and it will ruin your day.
I’m talking about all those little hate-full things someone might think, say or do, all day long, never realizing what’s actually happening. It’s that strife that builds and builds—all day long, all week long, your whole life long.
That’s where you need to repent and deal with those things the moment they pop up. Don’t even allow the smallest grain of hate—or strife—to remain in your spirit. Because, keep in mind, we’re dealing with fear here. We’re dealing with the spiritual connection to death (Hebrews 2:14-15).
So walking around with hatred in your heart toward your brother is not going to perfect the love of God in your life. The love that in turn casts out all fear.
No, 1 John 2:11 says strife will throw you out in the dark.
And what’s out in the dark? Fear.
The moment fear presents itself to you in any shape or form, realize that you don’t have a fear problem. Your problem is in fulfilling the commandment to love as Jesus loved.
Maybe you shot your mouth off at someone when you shouldn’t have. Or are you holding on to something that someone said or did that hurt you, and you have not—or you’ve refused to—forgive them.
The point is, get before God and judge yourself. Ask Him to reveal the problem and take the time to deal with it…immediately.
Then commit to the love walk. That means loving the person you have problems with—oftentimes, by faith.
As you do, the love of God will be perfected in you. And all fear will be cast out. Then it won’t be long until you’ll be falling in love.
The love that never leaves you, nor forsakes you. It casts out all fear and never leaves you in the dark. It’s the love that never fails.
24/7 online streaming of the uncompromised Word of God.
KCM’s online streaming channel grows into a network reaching 14.5 million potential viewers.
On Aug. 22, 2005, Kenneth Copeland Ministries launched its first ever 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week, online streaming channel. Originally called BVOV Channel One, it was available through the KCM webpage and was the ministry’s most direct effort at that time to provide “the uncompromised Word, 24 hours a day.”
A seed had been planted.
Later renamed BVOV TV, the channel also provided remote access to KCM Believers’ Conventions and Victory Campaigns, with online attendance reaching 40,000 homes worldwide.
For almost 10 years, that planted seed continued to develop in the unseen, until suddenly, it sprang forth on July 1, 2015, when BVOV TV made its debut on Dish Channel 265 as the new Believer’s Voice of Victory Network, reaching a potential audience of 14.5 million viewers.
The following month, on Aug. 17, the satellite transmitter and dish were moved to the ministry headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, fulfilling the vision the Lord had given decades earlier.
Now celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the once tiny seed is now a tree, with roots strong enough to support its supernaturally accelerated growth.
The next phase of that growth begins Sept. 21, with the launch of its new fall lineup and the addition of the following ministers: Creflo Dollar, Keith Moore, Bill Winston, Jerry Savelle, Jesse Duplantis, Keith Butler, Andrew Wommack, Mac Hammond, Gary Keesee, Mark Hankins and Butch Bruton.
As the uncompromised Word continues to spread to every available voice, more and more believers are being strengthened and empowered to plant their own seeds of faith and fulfill the visions God has placed in their hearts. One seed becomes many, and many more multiplied, until the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of the glory of God and every voice declares that—JESUS IS LORD!
The latest mission the Lord has called us to is securing a second Citation X airplane to increase the ease of outreach for other ministries worldwide, such as Reinhard Bonnke’s evangelistic association. Together, we can get this message of faith to the world! Watch this video to learn more and see how you can join these special forces…
Has the Lord called you to join us in this mission to bring the Word to the world?
Here’s how you can bless the Lord in 4 simple steps.
by Kenneth Copeland
In recent years, the Body of Christ has received great revelation about how God wants His people to live in The Blessing. It’s growing, and taking us all to new levels of faith every day. I go to sleep every night thanking the Lord for what He will show me tomorrow about The Blessing. Can you tell I’m excited?
But right now, I want to think about another issue: How we can bless God.
What does it actually mean to “Bless the Lord”? Believers do have the capacity to earnestly lift up the declaration “Bless the Lord” in praise. But, have we had a complete understanding of what that means?
Let’s take a look at the words of the Apostle John to see how God desires The Blessing to work out in our lives and how we can bless Him. “The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Beloved, I wish [pray] above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 1-4).
#1 Understand God’s Will for You
Look at that phrase, “Beloved, I wish above all things….” The cross references in the King James Version, and many other translations, note that it can be better translated, “Beloved, I pray above all things….”
So what we have here is an elder in the Church—who had experienced The Blessing manifest in the earth as he walked at Jesus’ side—telling one who had come up under his ministry what he prayed for most: “I pray above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
What John prays for Gaius by the Holy Spirit is a direct revelation of what our heavenly Father desires for us. So, before we go any further, let’s make sure we understand what that word prosper means.
Prosper means “to excel in something desirable.” We get additional understanding from the Hebrew word shalom, which is translated throughout the Old Testament as “prosperity.” Shalom is also translated as “peace” and as “wholeness,” literally meaning “nothing missing, nothing broken.”
Understanding what God desires for us, let’s go back to our definition of prosper: “to excel at something desirable.” Excel brings the word “high” into the definition; excellence means “the highest quality available.” To prosper, then, would be to go to the highest place available, or desired, in every area of life.
#2 Understand God’s Covenant of Prosperity
When God spoke The Blessing over Adam in Genesis 1:28, He said, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” We understand now that God intended Adam to reproduce the Garden of Eden throughout the earth—to spread the highest level of creation.
We can track The Blessing of God from Adam right down to Jesus—and right up to us. The Blessing is God’s covenant of prosperity—a covenant that assures we would not have anything missing or broken in our lives, a covenant that bestows life on the highest level. Adam gave up the covenant, but, “Bless the Lord,” Jesus fulfilled it in His day, and we have received the responsibility and the power to fulfill it in our day.
#3 – Receive His Provision
Only by understanding the word prosperity can we understand the word bless, which means “to empower to prosper.” To bless the Lord is to empower Him—to give Him the open door to do what He has said is His greatest desire: to see that there is nothing missing, nothing broken in our lives.
We don’t bless God by just knowing what He has provided and what He desires to do in us and through us. God is not going to be satisfied until His complete prosperity—the Garden of Eden—is manifest in the life of His Church throughout the earth. We bless Him by stepping out and receiving His provision, so that we can walk in full manifestation of The Blessing.
#4 –Praise Him for What He’s Done
I know the Body of Christ is ready for this day of The Blessing. We are exploding right now with the desire to excel—to come to the highest place possible. We are receiving the fullness of manifestation of what Jesus regained for us through His shed blood.
So, go ahead and bless the Lord with your praise! As David said in Psalm 103, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (verses 1-2). Look at all those benefits in Psalm 103—health, forgiveness, redemption, lovingkindness, tender mercies, good things, renewed youth and so much more! Those benefits describe life in the Garden of Eden! Those are the benefits that God wants people all over the earth to be enjoying—to be living in!
Just think about it! And “Bless ye the Lord, all ye…ministers of his, that do his pleasure…bless the Lord, O my soul” (Psalm 103:21-22).
We’ve added some new features to kcm.org that we know you’ll really be excited about! First, take your faith to the next level with our Believers’ Academy, an online training program that’s completely FREE! Then, connect with like-minded believers online in the KCM Partner Community. In addition, take digital notes while watching the BVOV broadcast and save articles, videos and more as “favorites” to your account. Watch this video to learn more.
In a world experiencing wars, rumors of war and dangers of every kind, it’s comforting to know that God has promised to protect His people. We may not all be on the front lines of a natural war, but we all face an enemy who intends to steal, kill and destroy. However, we must always remember our God is more powerful than the devil. And when we make God our refuge, we have security in Him. Just like a newborn baby wrapped in a warm, secure blanket, God wraps us in His love, power and protection.
Psalm 91 has kept many a person safe during all kinds of danger and war. For instance, Ken knew a commander in the Vietnam War who made all his troops quote Psalm 91 every day—whether they liked it or not. It paid off! His company didn’t have one casualty.
I also heard a similar testimony about a group of soldiers in World War II from a very small town named Seadrift, Texas. Every day the women of Seadrift prayed Psalm 91 over those men and as a result, all returned home safely. What a miracle!
That’s the kind of protection God has provided for us.
There is nothing anyone can come up with that is not covered by the promises of protection in God’s Word. He has provided a shelter that is ours for the taking—in fact, according to Psalm 61:3, “[God] hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.”
God Himself is our shelter and refuge. The dictionary defines refuge as “That which shelters or protects from danger, distress or calamity; a stronghold which protects by its strength or a sanctuary which secures safety by its sacredness; any place inaccessible to an enemy.”
Psalm 91:4 tells us, “Under His wings, shall you trust and find refuge.” When trouble comes your way, stay in that place of refuge in God. It’s a place of safety from any enemy.
Here are 5 Ways God Keeps You Safe in a Dangerous World:
#1 – God’s protection means you are inaccessible to the enemy, no matter what the circumstances.
According to the Scriptures, God encircles, encompasses, covers and shields those who make Him their refuge. His presence—the anointing—is a kind of force field of protection making you inaccessible to the enemy no matter what the circumstances.
That’s how men and women throughout the ages have been able to walk unharmed through all kinds of dangerous situations. That’s how Daniel survived the lions’ den. The lions couldn’t get to him because a tangible force field of God’s protection was around him (Daniel 6:16-22). God was Daniel’s refuge in the lion pit.
And God was a refuge for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace as well. They were faithful to God and believed God, and a circle of His power—the tangible force of God’s anointing—encased them. They didn’t bow and they didn’t burn. They didn’t even smell of smoke (Daniel 3:12-27). An angel “like the Son of God” was in the furnace with them. They were not alone, hallelujah!
They were encompassed by the power of God!
That same protection belongs to us today when we dwell in the secret place of the Most High (Psalm 91:1).
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways (Psalm 91:7-11).
The Spirit of God told me this concerning the secret place: There is a place in Christ Jesus where we abide in the secret place of God’s protection. The world knows nothing about this secret place, nor can they live there. It is a place revealed by the Holy Spirit. It is for the obedient. Our lives are hidden with Christ in God. (See Colossians 3:3.)
You and I can live in the secret place. Wherever we go, that secret place goes with us, surrounding and encircling us.
#2 – God has covered you with a garment of Light.
God Himself is encircled by what Scripture calls a garment of light. Psalm 104:1-2 says, “O Lord my God…You are clothed with honor and majesty—[You are the One] Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment…” (The Amplified Bible).
That is a description of the glory of God.
Adam was created in God’s image and God “crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5). A Jewish commentary on Psalm 93 tells us, “As he sang God’s praises, Adam truly looked Divine, because he was a reflection of God’s image.” Think about it—Adam looked just like God. He was clothed in the glory of God—he wore a garment of light.
Now it’s true when Adam sinned, the glory departed from him. He lost that crown of honor. But thank God, Jesus got back everything in the redemption that Adam lost in the Fall.
As believers in Christ, we are temples of the living God. He goes everywhere we go when we are filled with Him. God lives in us and we should radiate His presence and love. He has covered us with a garment, or shield, of light. We may not always be able to see it, but rest assured, beings in the spirit realm (including devils and demons) see and recognize the glory of God on us.
Occasionally, this light is visible in the natural too. Someone once sent us a copy of a picture they had taken of Brother Hagin preaching at one of our Believers’ Conventions. He was surrounded by God’s glory. A shield of light was visible around him in the photo.
#3 – Keep a shield of the Word over you, so no fiery dart of the devil can penetrate your life.
Even though as a Christian the Holy Spirit lives within you, you still must make sure you have your shield of faith in place when the devil aims a fiery dart at you. And you do that by knowing what the Word promises about protection and believing and standing on it in faith. You will not have faith to believe for this protection if you don’t know what God says about it, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). You must know His Word to have any basis for faith.
By keeping a shield of the Word over you, no fiery dart of the devil can penetrate your life. Evil tidings may come, but don’t listen to them. Circumstances may look grim, but keep your heart fixed on God’s Word—look to His promises instead of the situation. Resist the devil. Take your seat in the refuge of the Most High and stay put! Hold your position even under pressure and your enemy will flee (James 4:7).
Remember, everything you need is in that secret place with God. So hold your place by faith and believe what the Bible says. Believe that the “Lord, will bless the [uncompromisingly] righteous…as with a shield You will surround him with goodwill (pleasure and favor)” (Psalm 5:12, The Amplified Bible).
God desires to bless you, to surround you with goodwill, to always protect you.
#4 – Your security will be determined by how much time and attention you give to God and His Word in this life.
It really isn’t difficult to stay in that secret place—that place of protection—with God. In fact I can tell you how to do it in just four words:
Attach yourself to God.
Go after the things of God. Go after His Word. Make it a priority to spend time with Him every day. Let everything in your life revolve around your relationship with Him.
You’ll discover God will always do His part when you turn to Him. But He has given you a free will and it’s up to you to do your part, which is to attach yourself to Him and depend on Him. You choose to make the Lord your refuge, but then you must also choose to walk it out. “Walking it out” means believing God, rebuking fear, standing on the Word and speaking the promises of God when a fiery dart comes your way. Or you can choose to yield to fear and let go of your protection.
You must decide how you will respond in a moment of crisis.
The commentary on Psalm 121 in the Tehillim says, “To the extent that man pays attention to the word of [God] and safeguards His commands, [God] will safeguard him.”
Your security will be determined by how much time and attention you give to God and His Word in this life. That may sound simple, but it’s the truth. The Scriptures talk about “ye of little faith” and only you decide if that applies to you. If you give God a little bit of your time, you will have little faith and get little results.
But when you give God your attention, spend time with Him and His Word, and refuse to believe any other word for the situations you face, God will give you His attention and see to it that you come out all right.
Time with God pays off! When you consistently walk with God and listen to Him (even in the small things) you’ll be prepared if a crisis occurs. You will have no problem hearing and obeying what He tells you to do. And when you are walking in His wisdom, you will always be protected.
Sometimes just knowing which road to take can save your life. So learn to ask the Lord to direct your path each day, pray Psalm 25:4 and say, “Show me the path where I should go, O Lord; point out the right road for me to walk” (The Living Bible).
It’s important to recognize God as your source and your number one means of protection. See Him as your guardian or covering. I like the way Psalm 121 states this in the Tehillim: “[The Lord] is your Guardian, [The Lord] is your Shade at your right hand. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. [The Lord] will protect you from every evil, He will guard your soul. [The Lord] will guard your departure and your arrival, from this time and forever” (verses 5-8).
David understood God’s ability to protect him. In fact he depended on it! That’s evident when you read the Psalms, particularly Psalm 3:3, “But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me….” One commentator in the Tehillim translates this verse to say: “You, [Lord], are a shield for my body in this world and a shield for my soul in the World to Come” (verse 4). I like that, don’t you?
God can cover you in any situation. You don’t need anyone else covering you when you have Him covering you. People will let you down, but God will never let you down.
Psalm 25:15 says, “My eyes are ever looking to the Lord for help, for he alone can rescue me” (The Living Bible). Then verse 21 says, “Assign me Godliness and Integrity as my bodyguards, for I expect you to protect me….” God alone can rescue you. When you walk with God, trust Him and walk in His ways, you can expect Him to protect you.
#5 – Let the joy of the Lord be your strength.
We desire to abide in God’s presence where there is not only protection but also “fulness of joy” (Psalm 16:11) It’s interesting to note that the Jews believe the Spirit of the Lord will not manifest Himself where there is sadness or depression. That makes sense to me because if you are sad or depressed, that means you’re not believing God. If you are afraid or feel defeated, you’re out of faith. In fact, part of the curse in Deuteronomy 28 says, “And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life” (verse 66).
Think about it—negative emotions can’t get a foothold in our lives unless we turn loose of the promises of God that say we’re delivered, that say God is our source of protection, provision and every other good thing!
It just boils down to this: We have to live by faith and trust in God. In Him we have already been delivered from the whole curse. We’re protected from danger, sickness, lack or any other bad thing that’s under the curse. God promised us in Psalm 91, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name” (verse 14, New Living Translation).
Get your eyes on God—He is your help and deliverance (Psalm 121:1-2). Make the decision to abide in the secret place and declare Him to be your refuge. Spend time with God and His Word—meditate on scriptures about protection until you are confident that you have it.
If doubt creeps in, take spiritual action fast! Get your shield of faith back up, keep your words straight, listen to faith tapes, go to faith-filled meetings, do whatever it takes to get your heart anchored in the truth. Don’t listen to Satan’s lies.
Remember, we have a refuge or a covering that is greater than anything in the world and more powerful than any enemy that can come against us.
Get a picture in your mind and heart of God encircling you, taking care of you and protecting you. The more you walk with Him and trust Him, the stronger that armor and protection become. And that’s something to rejoice about!
The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Psalm 5:11 says it this way, “But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them…” (The Amplified Bible).
No matter what is happening in the world, you can rejoice because…
