…no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord. (Isaiah 54:17 ESV)

Our God, the Father, is our shield that will protect our well-being. Our spirit will never be broken as long as we submit and remain under him. Though we may be innocent and undergo physical or verbal abuse, know that the Lord is at work to deliver us from the hand of our enemies. If we are able to flee, he will show us the pathway to freedom. And if we are surrounded by heavy oppression, he will intervene and cause the oppressors to scatter and flee.

Jesus tells us to redirect our fear towards faith. He said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Having a fear of the Lord means that we give him our highest respect because of who he is and what he has done to bless us. The Father never runs short on love and compassion, but he does get offended whenever we forget about him and depend on ourselves or others for sustainment and deliverance. We tend to make things worse and only ask him to help when our troubles become unbearable. How often must we learn the hard way?

Our heritage is God and we are his servants, but even more than that, he calls us his children. When we face any attempts to bring us down via mockery, false accusations, etc., he intervenes to completely vindicate us. Knowing that he is for us brings a sense of peace, where the degree of worry is lessened by the magnification of our hope in him. We can open our arms to release all tension and anxiety, and receive his comfort and consolation.

It is a wonderful paradox that a man can externally suffer but also rejoice internally because he intimately knows the Lord and knows that Heaven is his home, where there is ultimate relief, pure joy, and the incomprehensible glory of God’s presence.