Golden Shields

Like every other angsty Christian teenager in the 90’s, I wanted faith strong enough to stand undaunted before a firing squad.

We were listening to “Jesus Freak” and “Consuming Fire,” inviting our friends to “see you at the pole,” and our budding faith was ready to stand, to go, and to fight- for Jesus.

My Jesus has stayed the same, but now, I wonder if I have faith strong enough to trust Him for patience when I’m mad or endurance when I’m tired of diapers, laundry, and dishes.

I had the honor of being the camp speaker for the beginner’s camp at Camp FaHoCha recently. Their theme this year highlighted Psalm 28:7: “The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped…” 

David sang about God as His Shield often. In 2 Samuel 22, we are told that David sang to the Lord after he had gained victory over all his enemies. As a warrior, David could have used his musical talent to extol all the weapons God had given him. He could have recounted the battles and strategies, the guts and the glory. However, He sings instead about his shield- the Lord.

It made me think about his battle with Goliath. In every artist’s rendering, Goliath is the one holding a physical shield. David has only the Lord as his Shield. That must have taken great faith.

David took golden shields away from his enemies, as recorded in 2 Samuel, and perhaps because they never did their previous owners any good, David never trusted in them. It was his son, Solomon, who hung golden shields around the temple. When the people ceased to trust the LORD to be their shield, enemies came and stole the golden shields. They never were of any real value.

When Peter wrote his letter to the exiled believers, he reminded them that they were “being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time…and that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

He also had learned that golden shields weren’t of any spiritual value. The real shield needed was the shield of faith, which proves effective whether we are washing dishes or facing the firing squad.

When God spoke to Abram in Genesis 15, He revealed His character by saying, “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield.” Abram had to choose whether to take shelter behind God or to seek refuge behind some other shield.

David was faced with that same choice, as was Peter. We all must choose whether to accept or reject Jesus as our Shield. He is the only Shield that is impenetrable, no matter if the fiery darts are temptations to anger or real bullets.