THE LORD IS A SHIELD FOR HIS PEOPLE "PROTECTION"
"O,Lord, You are a shield about me, you bestow glory on me and lift my head" Psalm 3:3 "Contend O Lord, fight, take up Your Shield and buckler, Arise come to my aid. Brandish spear and javalin..."(Psalm 35:1-3) "The Lord will march out like a mighty man like a warrior. He will stir up His zeal; with a shout He will raise the battle cry and WILL TRIUMPH OVER HIS ENEMIES!" Isaiah 42:13 "The Lord, He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. O Lord, what is man that You care for him the son of man that You think of him?" Psalm 144:2-3 "The Lord is a sun and a shield...." Psalm 84:11 On the Shield you'll see an emblem of the Lion of Judah with a double edged sword coming out of His mouth, Revelation 1:16, describes Jesus like this, "In His right hand He held the seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp double edged sword." Below the Lion is an inscription in Hebrews that says, "the Lord will battle for them". As you look into this painting you'll discover many elements of the spiritual battle raging around us. Ephesians 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." At the top you'll find a shining sword cutting through flames. In the midst of the flames you will see the battle and what the Lord is using His shield and sword against. You'll see the importance of our picking up the sword and shield of Gods Word and of Faith that Paul writes about in Ephesians 6:13-17 The Lord tells us that He will train our hands to battle, Psalm 144:1. We need to be willing to learn. There is a bowl with oil pouring out from beneath a cloud that is dripping. In the top of the bowl of oil is a tree of abundant life. The oil that flows around it is filled with iridescent colors that stream down over the edge of the bowl on to the shield. "prays pouring forth." The dripping of the oil begins to resemble the tassels of a prayer shawl as they hang over the edge. The Lord is our PROTECTOR and the One who TRAINS OUR HANDS for war. As we seek His face in prayer He will give us guidance in the battle.
