Devos with Davis: God’s Protection

The date was March 23, 1945, when a troop of American soldiers traversed the rocky and steep hills along the Rhine River in western Germany during the end of World War II, according to WKRN.com. Pieces of jagged shrapnel blended into the uneven cliffs of terrain, forcing the team of soldiers to attentively step forward into the unknown. Suddenly, German forces fired an explosive shell toward the Americans, sending a barrage of metal shards into the air upon detonation. 

One 18-year-old soldier, Donald Morrison, who tried to protect himself by grabbing his machine gun, fell victim to the flying shrapnel; metal pieces dragged across his face before he fell to the ground unconscious. His fellow American soldiers saw his limp figure and thought the blast had killed him, so they left him to lie on the ground alone. 

However, despite his companions’ conclusion that he was dead, Morrison woke up. When Morrison told his story in an interview with WKRN.com, he said that when he came to, he was confused as to why his comrades had left him there. After he brushed the dirt and metal pieces off his uniform, he rose to his feet and dragged himself over to where the rest of his team was walking. 

After the other soldiers saw that he was still alive, they were astounded, because they thought the shrapnel had pierced his heart. But when Morrison reached into his left breast pocket, he pulled out the item that had guarded his heart: his pocket Bible. 

As the group of soldiers stood atop the battle-torn ground, they all stared at Morrison’s little Bible, which was punctured by a large piece of shrapnel sticking out from the center of its pages. Morrison knew that if he did not have his Bible with him that day, he would have died. 

While most of modern society may not be engaged in global warfare like those soldiers endured decades ago, Morrison’s near-death experience serves as a reminder of how God is the ultimate protector and refuge for those who trust in him. 

Psalm 91:1-2 says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” 

In these first few verses, the author clearly articulates that in order to find safety from perilous circumstances, believers must first trust God with the situation at hand by abiding and remaining in the “shadow of the Almighty.” As the passage continues, the writer breaks down how God will protect us from various hardships and threats.  

For example, Psalm 91:3-4 states, “For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.” 

In these few verses, the psalmist highlights that God does not employ one singular method for protecting us from affliction. Verse three mentions that God will “deliver” us from the “fowler” and sickness by guarding us with “his wings” and using his “faithfulness” as a “shield.”  

According to EnduringWord.com, the author likens humanity to little birds as “the devil and his agents often work as the fowler works” by trying to trap and prevent birds of prey from evading capture. 

“We are foolish and weak as poor little birds, and are very apt to be lured to our destruction by cunning foes, but if we dwell near to God, he will see to it that the most skillful deceiver shall not entrap us,” noted EnduringWord.com. 

Further down in the passage, verses five and six demonstrate how Christians do not need to fear the obstacles they may encounter in this world because God’s power and protective nature overshadows all of it. 

Psalm 91:5-6 says, “You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.” 

Oftentimes, additional problems arise when Christians allow their fears to further ensnare them and keep them trapped in the trenches of hopelessness, according to EnduringWord.com.  

Verse five says, “you will not fear,” which is a clear directive from God. He does not want us to be afraid; instead, God is calling us to come to and remain in him for complete protection. 

Morrison’s life was saved because he knew he needed to keep God’s Word close to his heart to endure the battlefield before him. Of all the pieces of armor that the young American soldier carried with him, he knew that he needed his pocket Bible to persevere and stay alive. 

No matter the situation or the spiritual battlefield that we may be facing each day, it is essential to remember that God will protect us if we simply abide in the shadow of his wings. 

Davis is the Editor-in-Chief of the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X.