Promised Protection

“Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him. (Psalm 4:3 NIV).

Two marvelous promises to start our day! First, isn’t it wonderful to know that God has set apart for His special use and care those who are godly; that is, those who are in Christ Jesus and live like it? There is s similar promise in 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” (2 Chronicles 16:9 NASB--emphasis mine). So, this first promise leads me to a questions and a promise. When God’s eyes fall upon you, does He see one whose heart is fully committed to Him? If so, you can be certain of two more things: one, He has you marked for His own and two, you can count on His strong support; he won’t let you down.

The second marvelous promise in our text is the promise that God hears when the godly call to Him in prayer. When people tell me that they never get an answer to prayer, that doesn’t make me wonder about the promises of God, it makes me wonder about them! God’s promise is that He will hear His people when they call to Him. But again notice the link: it is godly people God hears not those who claim to be His but are living godless lives. The Bible says, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2 NIV). Make sure there is no purposeful or unconfessed sin in your life.

Two marvelous promises. If you are living like a believer be assured that God has marked you for Himself and the God who marked you for Himself will surely hear your petitions when you cry out to Him.