OUR FATHER WHO IS OUR SHIELD AND OUR REWARD

Genesis chapter 15 verse 1 reads this way;

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Now Abraham, in the preceding chapter, had returned from a great rescue mission to retrieve his kinsman, Lot and his family, who had been kidnapped by a raiding army when it attacked and ransacked the cities of Sodom, where Lot lived,  and Gomorah.

After the successful counter-attack, Abraham and his army returned with all the goods and people who had been taken in the raid and the king of Sodom offered to give him all the wealth that he had regained from the raiders.

Abraham turned down the offer and Abraham declared that he had made a binding  covenant with his God not to take a single piece of the plunder from the raid lest the king of Sodom be able to claim that he had made Abraham rich.

Whereas the booty gained from the costly pursuit would have replenished Abraham's supplies and holdings, Abraham was steadfast in keeping his agreement with the Lord even though it left him in an economic and militarily vulnerable position.

When the dust settled, Abraham had a vision during which the Lord told Abraham not to be afraid because the Lord Himself would be his shield and his very great reward.

The Lord assured Abraham that even though he was in a weakened position, the Lord himself would be Abraham's  strength and defender as well as being his very great reward.

Bless the Lord who will shield and supply us  when we follow His lead and live by faith.

Amen.