“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.”
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
“See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.

Those who are upright and honest are required to combat evil. We must take a stand for truth! And when those days come, fear can paralyze us. Worry can rob us of our joy and confidence. Panic can set in. But truly none of these tools of the Devil need to be recognized or given ground to. We can cast them off and focus our attention on the Lord.

It is strange to think of God as my husband. No, this is not a personal metaphor but one for the Jewish people as a whole. They were God’s people. Some of the husband’s roles in a household are to provide for, protect, and rescue and recover his family from harm. God did this for the Jews time and again.

This relationship is again mentioned in the New Testament here: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭2‬-‭4‬)

As the Bride of Jesus Christ and God, we (his followers) have access to his special protection. So instead of letting fear, shame, and disgrace rule in our minds, we can take strength for today from the fact that God is our husband. His love for us is more powerful than the mightiest of earthquakes. And, “no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.” This is our heritage as his children.

So today, whatever righteous battles we find ourselves in, we can be confident in the truth and in our God to defend us!

Lord, thank you for loving me, my family, and my brothers and sisters in Christ so very well! We place our hope, our trust, and our future in your hands. And we advance to proclaim the truth in love, no matter those who may form lines against us!