I was driving along on this very cold November morning and noticed a small lake beside the highway that was half frozen. There was a
flock of ducks all over this small lake, some were floating along, and others were standing on the ice. My first thought was that surely
those poor ducks are freezing out there in that frigid water since they are unshielded from the blistering wind that cuts through you like a
knife! My heart went out to them.
The Spirit of God spoke to me ever so gently assuring me that the ducks were OK. I felt better about them. I was then reminded that He
created them, and that He had made adequate provision in their physical makeup to handle such frigid conditions. They are highly
insulated giving them a shield from the effects of the cold and wet.
I don’t know how God works with you, but He often uses such everyday circumstances to teach me things. This was no exception. He
likened me to one of those ducks out there in the cold in that the conditions around me aren’t always balmy and warm and everything is
not always well. Life has a way of happening to each of us, and some of it just is not fun or comfortable. But, I was told, I too as a child of
God have a “layer of insulation” that surrounds me and it protects me just like the ducks had to endure their wet and cold environment. I
was comforted by this thought.
My thoughts immediately scanned the Scriptures in my mind considering what I had just been told. I went back to that powerful statement
God made to father Abraham in Genesis 15:1, “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid,
Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Each time I read this verse what jumps from the page is the truth that God does
not say He will provide a shield for me, but rather He declares that He Himself will be my shield! Almighty God is my shield! Jehovah Himself
is my shield! Wow! But from what does He shield me? The answer is: From anything and everything that might separate me from Him.
Keep in mind this original statement was made during the striking of the covenant between God and mankind. Obviously the
preservation of the covenant is a high priority to God for Him to make this statement; He takes on the personal responsibility of preserving
the one(s) with whom He is in covenant, and that most assuredly includes you and me. The ducks have a layer of fat and oily feathers to
shield them from the elements; we have God Himself who shields us from anything and everything that counters His divine will and plan
for our lives. The apostle Paul says it this way, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the
fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” The triumph referred to here is your promise of victory; this is your shield against anything
that is sent to unseat your faith and draw you away from God. The psalmist In Psalm 91 says it like this, “He [God] shall cover you with His
feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge.”
I encourage you to begin right now changing the way you view life. Your life will have times of great challenge but these things will not
take you down. You are insulated. Defeat and failure are no longer in your vocabulary or even in your thinking. Triumph is always the order
of the day for you because of your covenant with God. He has promised and He is faithful to fulfill His promises to you. Fill yourself with the
powerful promises of God that pertain to being an overcomer. Settle once and forever that nothing will defeat you. Be diligent to proclaim
each and every day that you are a conqueror! That you are always led in triumph! That the greater One is in you and because of that Satan
cannot defeat you! You will find that this “knowing” and this "declaring" will be your shield because you are literally standing behind the
words of God Almighty.
So, just like the ducks were enjoying that early morning swim despite the cold temperature, enjoy your life despite the circumstances
that surround you. You are insulated!