I’m certainly not a Star Trek geek, but I will admit that I have watched my fair share of Star Trek shows. And you don’t have to watch too many episodes before it becomes apparent that there are certain recurring phrases that have become part of the Star Trek jargon. For instance, Captain Kirk’s, “Beam me up, Scottie” or Captain Picard’s, “Make it so.” But there is one phrase both captains used whenever they were under attack. Both captains would shout this order, “Shields up!” The shields were force fields that would protect their ship, the Enterprise. They would deflect the fiery blasts of an enemy attack; however, they were not impenetrable. If the attacks continued, their deflecting power would weaken and threaten to collapse. Fortunately there always was a last minute rescue that spared the impending destruction of their starship.

Well, this past week, I was struck by a verse in the Bible from the book of Psalms that also referred to a shield―but this shield is not the product of man’s imagination. No, this shield comes from the heart of our Lord!

For you bless the godly, O Lord, you surround them with your shield of love. (Psalm 5:12 (NLT)

Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. (Psalm 5:12 NIV)

Because Jesus Christ is my Savior, I have received His righteousness! Therefore I can embrace this promise that God will bless me by surrounding me with His shield of love and favor―an encompassing shield that protects me from the strategies and attacks of the enemy of my soul. But unlike the shield of the Enterprise, the power of the Lord’s shield―the power of His love and favor on my life will never collapse; it will never be weakened! Just like King David, we can declare this truth:

“He (the Lord) is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. (Ps. 18:30 NLT)

He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. (Prov. 30:5 NLT)

What comfort, what peace of mind, what strength of heart becomes ours, when we embrace His promise that He will protect us with His shield of love and favor! A great promise to take hold of as we enter the new year of this new decade!