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After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” Genesis 15:1
D.L. MOODY
Abram might have thought that the kings he had defeated might get other kings and other armies to come; and he might have thought of himself as a solitary man, with only three hundred and eighteen men, so that he might have feared lest he be swept from the face of the Earth. But the Lord came and said: “Abram, fear not.”
That is the first time those oft-repeated words “Fear not” occur in the Bible.
“Fear not, for I will be your shield and your reward.”
I would rather have that promise than all the armies and all the navies of the world to protect me—to have the God of heaven for my Protector! God was teaching Abram that He was to be his Friend and his Shield if he would surrender himself wholly to His keeping and trust in His goodness. That is what we need—to surrender ourselves up to God, fully and wholly.
ERWIN LUTZER
If we remember the context of this promise, we can understand why it was so important and such a comfort for Abram (later, Abraham). The king of Sodom was so grateful to Abraham for bravely rescuing the people from his city, he said Abraham could keep the plunder. To his everlasting credit, Abraham refused this offer saying he didn’t want the king of Sodom to be able to say that he made Abraham rich.
So, God made these promises: the Lord would make Abraham rich and He would protect Abraham from the rogue nations that wanted to steal Abraham’s wealth. God would be both Abraham’s shield and his reward.
Let’s take that promise for ourselves. Let our wealth be honestly acquired, and let us trust God to protect us.
PRAYER
Father, shield me from harm and keep me from greed as you did with Abraham.REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What can you learn from Abraham's willingness to trust God rather than depend on material gain and human protection?
What fears are you currently facing that you need to entrust to God?