Jesus wants to protect you from evil

Protect = to defend and guard from attack, invasion, loss; to shield from injury and danger

Evil =harmful wickedness accompanied by misfortune, suffering, disaster

Who is Jesus?

Matthew 16:¹⁶And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

¹⁷And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Why does He care about you?

John 3:¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

¹⁸He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Psalm 91 was written in the 10^th century B.C. because Jesus loves you and wants you to know that He is prepared to protect you from evil. In this psalm there are four types of evil mentioned.

Evil type 1

³Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

⁴He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Snare =anything to entrap or entangle unaware

Fowler =a hunter

Deliver = to set free, to liberate

Absolutely Jesus has the power and the desire to deliver you from any evil designed to entrap you.

What does this mean to you?

Evil type 2

⁵Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Terror =cause of intense fear or anxiety?

Arrow =pointed weapon designed to cause harm

How easy is it for you to worry at night, in your bed, when there is nothing you can do about what the object of your worrying?

The arrows that fly could be harsh words, criticisms or actual attempts to harm you, your reputation, your ministry.

Why do you think this psalm identifies evil in the night and in the day?

Evil type 3

⁶Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness;

Pestilence= anything harmful, destructive or evil

Walk= to advance at a moderate speed

Darkness =deficiency of light

Things like germs and bugs are all around us moving in the deficiency of light.

What does it matter to you that Jesus has the power and the desire to deliver you from these types of pestilence?

Evil type 4

nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

Destruction=demolition, annihilation

Wastes= destroy, devastate, ruin

What about the evil that seeks to ruin you in broad daylight?

What does it matter to you that Jesus has the power and the desire to deliver you from this type of destruction?

Will you receive His protection and deliverance?

Tell it to Jesus-

Our focus – Hebrews 12:¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Our challenge – Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love; has uniquely designed and created only one you; has a good plan for your life; runs with you; and will        accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run being yoked to Emmanuel!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with your focus on His mission: to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when together you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti