The Guardian
But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (ESV)
It is such a secure feeling to know we have a Protector who never sleeps. He watches over us 24/7/365. Tracy Camp (All God’s Creatures) shares what she learned about the Great Pyrenees and God’s faithfulness.
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When our son, Jeremy, and his family bought a house in the country, it came complete with a chicken coup and a dozen chickens. My granddaughter jumped right into caring for the hens and selling their eggs. It didn’t take long, however, to learn the hard facts of country life.. Other animals also like chickens—and not just for their eggs.
After losing a couple of their best layers, they began to notice that when the neighbor’s Great Pyrenees, Lady, roamed their property, the chickens remained unharmed. They often heard her barking around their house at night, usually at about the same time coyotes howled nearby. Jeremy and his wife researched the protective qualities of the breed and decided to get one of their own.
I was picking up my four-year-old grandson the first time I saw Bert. The fluffy white guardian was only seven months old but already was as big as a grown golden retriever. I walked right up to him before I realized he was lying on the doorstep. He raised his head to study me but made no menacing sounds. Thank goodness he deemed me friendly, because not only are the chickens under his protection but also the other dogs, the cats and the entire family. He even chased off the neighbor’s dog, Lady.
Bert’s protectiveness reminds me of the Lord’s faithfulness in protecting me. No, it doesn’t mean I’ll never stub my toe, but God knows me as His child. He guards me against the evil of this world as I remain established in Him. To me, that means studying His Word and praying for guidance and discernment. I can’t always see malicious intentions, but God can.
I hope Bert will one day discern who is friend and who is foe among everyone, just as any good guardian does. Regardless, he will faithfully watch over his family—animal and human alike—just as God watches over me.
Lord, thank You for Your faithful protection against the forces of this world that are often too strong for us to battle. AMEN.