Protector
God says, "I will stand guard
to protect my temple
from those
who come to attack." ~ Zechariah 9:8 (CEV)
Jesus to Peter: And I’ll build my church on this rock. The gates of the underworld won’t be able to stand against it. ~ Matthew 16:18 (CEB)
KEY IDEA:
Because of the way that he protects his ground, ultimately God prevails -- even against death.
PRAYER:
God, I am so frustrated by how often death seems to have the upper hand -- even in the church where we seem hell-bent on hurting each other. I confess my discouragement and pain. Refresh my faith so that the enemy no longer consumes my thinking and energy. I'm going to trust your protective presence and your experience in pain management to restore my confidence in your victory. Thank you for caring so much. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
