Shielded from Plagues (Part I)

“No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.” (Psalm 91:10, New King James Version).

This is the key Bible verse for the “Come and See” devotional today.

All Scripture serves a purpose. The Bible states: “what has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9, New International Version). This shows that whatever is happening now or in the future is simply history repeating itself. However, the lessons of history can teach us to prepare for the future.

Today’s key Bible verse indicates God’s consistent promise to shield His people from all forms of evil including plagues and diseases.  This pledge corresponds with the prayers of Jesus Christ before His arrest, crucifixion and eventual resurrection. Thus, He said: “I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:15, New King James Version). Only God can keep us safe from the evil in this world.

We are familiar with the ten plagues used by God to deliver the children of Israel from more than four hundred years of slavery in Egypt; these are described in Exodus, Chapters 7 to 14. This description illustrates the power of God to safeguard His people in the midst of an epidemic; for example, there was a barrier to the fifth plague which was directed at all the livestock in Egypt. The Bible recorded that the cattle of the Israelites were exempted: “and the Lord will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.” (Exodus 9:4, New King James Version). It is worth noting that none of the ten plagues affected the Israelites in any way.

How could we be shielded from plagues? In response to this question, we must realise that our protection lies in our habitation. Thus, Psalm 61:4 states: “I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings”. There are conditions attached to the promises of God and there is no exception to the promise of protection from plagues. The Bible reveals the precondition as follows: “he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’” (Psalm 91:1-2, New King James Version).

This bible passage suggests that we have to be resident in the house of the Living God to enjoy the protection it provides against all forms of raging disease unleashed upon mankind by the devil. We have to make the presence of the Most High God our dwelling place and be conscious of it at all times. The first step towards this protective divine protection is to remain connected to God through Jesus Christ. This is clear from the description of the fifth plague of Egypt where the livestock of the children of Israel were shielded from the ravaging plague for as long as they remained within the flock. (Refer to Exodus 9:1-8). Likewise, Apostle Paul states ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring-Acts 17:28New International Version (NIV)

Let us pray: “Father, I declare that you are my refuge and fortress. I receive your Grace to be conscious of your protective edge around me and my family,” in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.  

This message was brought to you by Evangelical Ministries International (EMI). We know this message has been a blessing to you. Please share your testimonies with us by visiting our website www.evangelicalministries.org or contact us on info@evangelicalministries.org. God bless you!