(2 minutes, 15 seconds)
In a self-entertaining effort to expand my vocabulary, I signed up for a daily email called “Word Daily.” The word of the day is usually somewhat eccentric and strange. I often have no clue how to pronounce the new-to-me word, and generally, the words that pop up in my inbox from this vocabulary-building service seem a bit too lofty. Take, for instance, a recent word: Rodomontade. See, I told you!
In the spirit of my Word Daily email, I have a few words from the Word that have given me pause lately that I want to share with you. I hope you are as encouraged as I am to ponder these words in light of the One who gave them to us. The word for today: buckler
Oh, how I love Psalm 91! I have returned again and again to this beloved Psalm. Reading this familiar passage aloud recently, I got to verse 4 and stopped short over the word, buckler.
“His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.” Psalm 91:4 ESV
A buckler. “Huh.” I say, probably out loud. “God’s faithfulness is like a seat belt.” I close my eyes, my thoughts string together, and my mind forms a picture. “Like being buckled into a seat,” I think. I envision God’s harness of faithfulness keeping me tucked safe and tight against my car seat.
Wait a second! My mind starts to whirl. There were no cars and no seat belts in bible times! I wonder to myself, in this Biblical culture and text, what was a buckler that describes God’s faithfulness?
In this short verse, with these two words, God in His kindness elaborates on His faithfulness to us. Chasing a bunny named “buckler” down a trail, the Lord taught me something fresh and profound about His faithfulness.
God’s faithfulness is a shield and buckler, the ESV says. Through deeper study of this passage, including utilizing several Bible study tools, I learned that a “shield” in this passage refers to a large and broad armor of protection that you can dig into the ground and hide behind when spears, arrows, or rocks are being launched at you in a big and broad attack. The shield of His faithfulness is what we stand behind and are protected from the “big” stuff in life that flies hard at us from all directions and distances.
A “buckler,” however, refers to a small round shield used for close-contact fighting. It’s a personal piece of protection that is held near in battle. The buckler of His faithfulness is essential today, for example, when an enemy is pressing their pointer finger HARD into our chest. The buckler is for up-close and personal attacks.
Whether we experience attacks from far or near, the truth is that God’s shield and buckler cover us completely! This passage shows God’s all-encompassing, steadfast pledge to protect us. He is committed to shielding us from big and small stuff alike.
What about when it seems or feels like arrows called trials or pain get past our Shield and Buckler? I remember with joy something my first Bible study leader taught me 38 years ago. She said, “Nothing touches your life that doesn’t first pass through the loving hands of God.” Be assured of the infallible, unflinching ability of God to protect you. If it seems otherwise, rest with confidence in our always-good God. He never misses one arrow and never misplaces His shield. The arrow that reaches you passes through His loving hands first.
Are you feeling vulnerable or in need of protection? Is your heart unsteady today? Do you need to be covered and cared for in a specific area? I want to encourage you to linger long in Psalm 91, which begins:
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust…'” (Psalm 91:1-2)