The really big guy
by Jamie Fewster
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As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore (Psalm 125:2).
Sport has become a major source of enjoyment for me. I love going surfing, playing cricket and touch footy, and watching pretty much any sport on television. One of the more recent sports I’ve followed is the NFL (American football). At first, I didn’t understand it. However, through encouragement from some mates (and a healthy dose of NFL fantasy competition!), I have come to understand it and really enjoy watching it.
What fascinates me is the attention and protection given to one player, the quarterback. If I was paying a player upwards of 40 million USD per season, I’d want to look after him too! I love seeing how after the snap (when the ball gets passed between the centre’s legs to the quarterback), the offensive line (the really big guys) all push against the opposition. They slowly give ground, gradually move back, and surround the quarterback, encircling him and creating a ‘pocket’ of protection (it’s literally called the ‘pocket’). The defensive line (the other really big guys) of the opposition is trying to get to the quarterback. They want to tackle him and bring him down (called a ‘sack’).
When I read Psalm 125:1,2, I am reminded of the protection given to this one player. ‘As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people.’
Ironically, the seven peaks surrounding Jerusalem do not really make for much protection! With Jerusalem not having a seaport, military significance or really anything else that makes it stand out, it may seem strange that this city needs protecting at all! It is, for all intents and purposes, an ordinary town. However, the imagery we receive of a God who surrounds us with his love and protection is clear. The temple in Jerusalem was the place where God dwelt. And the account of how God redeemed us through Jesus in Jerusalem shows us how God surrounds the ordinary (Jerusalem/us) and makes us extra-ordinary (because of Christ).
We are his people. He surrounds us with his love and protection.
Does this mean we won’t get ‘sacked’? Of course not. Life knocks us down sometimes and may be doing so more than usual at the moment. But Jesus pulls us back up and reminds us that he will be there again and again to protect us.
‘Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved …’
May you be encouraged to trust in the Lord. His love will be with you ‘from this time forth and forevermore’.
Prayer: Pray for the education secretary for the National Committee of Lutheran World Federation Ridwin Purba and Education Consultant Ruth Butler as they support the education within Lutheran schools in Indonesia. Pray God will remind you of his constant and abiding love for you and will continue to protect you from all evil – from those that would seek to do you harm, when you are feeling lost, alone and helpless, and when you are sick of body or soul.
Jamie Fewster is from Navigator College SA, which partners with SMA GKPS Pematangraya, Kabupaten Simalungun, Indonesia.
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