Isaiah 25:4-5 For You have been a defence for the helpless, A defence for the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the breath of the ruthless. Is like a rain storm against a wall. Like heat in drought, You subdue the uproar of aliens; Like heat by the shadow of a cloud, the song of the ruthless is silenced.
The attack of the enemy is portrayed as the heat in drought and the defence of the Lord as the shadow of a cloud. The disobedience of the Israelites made them wander in the desert for forty years yet, the Lord provided an air-conditioned canopy over them. Nehemiah 9:19. “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. The desert temperatures can rise to an average of 38°C (a little over 100°F) during the day and fall to an average of -3.9°C (about 25°F) at night. They did not get blisters from the desert sun nor frost-bites due to the freezing cold. The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were not a circle of shade around them but was a massive pavilion overshadowing the half a million wanderers. The shadow from the cloud calmed the smouldering heat and cooled the heat waves into gentle evening breeze. It changed the atmosphere of the desert!
We are shadowed by what overshadows us. There are the tumultuous cry of death, distress and dross around us. However, we have a calm assurance of the cloud of God’s protection overshadowing us.
Three supernatural protective shadows:
1. Shelter: For the breath of the ruthless. Is like a rainstorm against a wall. A heavy deluge of downpour can be damaging and destructive. However, to those who are covered under the shade of God’s protection, the fierce torrents are only like water blasts that clean the wall. The breath of the ruthless are wickedness, malice and mischievous but God is our refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat. He is our shelter against the ruthless waves of COVID.
2. Shade: The rant of the ruthless are like the fiery breath of the dragon. The biology behind the mythology is that the dragon releases hydrogen and methane-rich gases that mix with the oxygen in the air and ignites flames. These are hurtful words, hateful threats and intimidations in these uncertain times. Psalms 97:3 Fire goes before Him (The Lord). And burns up His adversaries round about. God fights the fiery consuming and scorching attacks of the enemy with Holy Fire. The fire of God will swallow up the fire breathing enemy.
3. Summerhouse: Like heat by the shadow of a cloud, the song of the ruthless is silenced. We are inundated with bad reports, forecasts and predictions on social media. However, God is our hiding place and our summerhouse from the burning sun. Psalms 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. The slogans, chimes and menacing whispers of the ruthless demonic are silenced by the songs of deliverance when we are under the shadow of the Almighty.
The shadow of the Almighty is overshadowing us from the ruthless enemy, virus and uncertainty.
Isaiah 25:4b A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, I thank you for the assurance that I can rest from the brutal attacks of the disease and dangers under the shadow of your cloud. Amen
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