“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” (Genesis 15:1)
Abraham had just suffered a traumatic loss in his life. Because of political battles between the leaders around him his nephew got taken as a spoil of war. Abraham, in response to this news, mounted a counter-attack (even though he was not originally a part of the conflict) and successfully recovered what was taken from him. That is the Reader’s Digest version of a much more brutal event. That’s why this chapter starts out with the words, “After these things…”
Abraham knew God as the God of heaven, as the One True God. He had a personal relationship with God. But this relationship was going into a deeper channel now, God was taking him to a new level. Our lives lived with God go through such changes as we mature. As new Christians, God often deals with us gently, loving on us, bringing us into the Family, treating us as a child (and so we were). We don’t know all the rules of the Family yet, all the inner workings of the kingdom, all the history of the different tribes (so to speak). Yet as we mature He begins to take us in deeper as we see the day-to-day things. We begin to view life through the eyes of our new identity, we begin to feel things we never felt before, we grow into our place in the Family of God.
In the verses that follow God takes Abram into a covenant relationship. Up until now Abram is still a follower of God. He has obeyed God in leaving his homeland, moved into a foreign land, and loved God with an ever-increasing understanding. Now it is time for him to advance in the kingdom from being one of the kids in the Family to being one of the elders. He is growing up in his relationship with God. In our modern vernacular, he has been sitting at the kids table all these years but now it is time to find his place at the grownup table.
Jesus did the same with His disciples. For the first few months of Jesus’ earthly ministry He taught them. They had to have an understanding of the foundational truths and a basic understanding of how this kingdom of God operates. They witnessed His miracles, they listened to His teachings. What He said sounded familiar – after all, it was based upon the Old Testament with which they were familiar – yet it had a different tone. Jesus taught the scriptures with a new vision, a fresh attitude (if you will), with an air of authority. He wasn’t just another scribe or Pharisee who taught theory. Jesus took the Word and used it as a force, as a creative, powerful weapon against the works of Satan in the world. Where there was a need, Jesus met it by the creative power of the Holy Spirit that rested upon Him (and lived within Him). When the time came, Jesus sent the disciples out to minister using His Name and a measure of that same Holy Spirit He imparted to them. He was developing them, maturing them into the leaders they, too, would one day soon become in the Family.
He does the same with you and me still today. You have learned all about Him by hearing sermons and teachings. You know by memory the history of Christ. You know many of the stories of the Bible and know the God of the Bible from a distance. But now, God is preparing to take you into a deeper relationship with Him. For months or years you have been learning, learning, learning but never using what your spirit has known. God is calling you to step out now and become a leader in the Family. The time has come for you to rescue what has been taken from you – self-esteem, lost relationships, family members that have been taken by the enemy, whatever. It is time for you to now gear up for battle and go into the enemy’s camp and take it back. This will unlock a deeper relationship with God and others. You will emerge from this battle stronger and more confident in the abilities of God in your life.
God told Abram in this verse “I am thy shield.” Very simply – He protects you. All of your natural life you had parents or guardians who protected you. When you were very young they protected you from the world around you. They gave you rules to follow based upon your safety. Don’t touch that – it’s hot. Don’t put your fingers in there – the fan blades will cut your fingers off. Don’t pull the dog’s ears or be mean to him – he will bite you. Those kind of things. When you got a little older, they gave you rules to protect you from other people. Don’t get in the car with a stranger. Don’t go outside after dark in a strange place. Don’t go to that side of town or that area of town. Then came the teenage years. They gave you rules to protect you from yourself. Don’t look at these websites. Don’t hang around this group of kids. Don’t drive so fast. Don’t drink or smoke. On and on the rules went – ever-changing, but ever-present. All meant to protect us. But God made it about more than the rules: He was training you little-by-little to become like Him, to mature into little representatives and agents of His. And through your growth period He was there to protect you. At each level of growth there are new evils, new dangers of which you may not be aware. But fear not, God is there to protect you.
He also told Abram “I am thy exceeding great reward.” It has been said that we either do things to gain pleasure or avoid pain. We are, by nature, ever seeking more and better in our lives. God never had a problem with that. His problem is that we often seek it outside our relationship with Him. A pastor knows when someone’s relationship with God is faltering by many signs, but one of those signs is in the offering plate. We will sacrifice our tithes and offerings to God to support some new shiny thing we just can’t live without. I’ll pay my electric bill and mortgage, but take my tithe money to make my Harley payment. God surely understands that we need a vacation, so I’ll just not tithe this month and use that money for … And no, it’s not about giving the pastor your money – it’s about basic obedience in our worship of God. The same is true of our habits. God will understand I’m weak in this area, so … God is here reminding Abram that He is the great reward. God is. Not some hottie we have just met. Not that glittery bass boat we saw at the store. Not the newest model of car. Not the biggest bank account or the nicest house. He is.
Jesus taught us that if we will seek first His kingdom and His righteousness all the things we need will be added to us. He will take care of our needs as we seek to serve Him first. He doesn’t promise, necessarily, all our wants – but we will not lack in our lives. That is walking a tight rope, I know. But He has promised you and me that if we seek Him, His kingdom, and His righteousness, He will provide. God is preparing you to go to a new level with Him. Whatever it is you are struggling with today, whatever is tempting you to step back, to re-evaluate (in the words of Janet Jackson, “What has he done for you lately?”), I encourage you to stay true to God first and foremost. Press in to Him, seek His will for your life, and pursue that above all else. God will take care of the rest. Stay strong, my friend. Press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God which is in Christ Jesus.
Be blessed.
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