DEVOTION / You are surrounded

Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield (Psalm 5: 12).

"We got you surrounded! Give yourself up."

Surrounded when it’s not a good thing

You remember those scenes from crime movies, right? The gang members are surrounded by hundreds of police officers, FBI agents, and SWAT teams. There's no chance of escape.

In that case, being surrounded is not a good thing -- for the gang.

Surrounded when it is a good thing

What a difference, though, if those hundreds of armed men and women were not there to capture you but to protect you. Then you would be just as surrounded but you would be safe, secure, and even comfortable.

"Surely," the psalmist insists, the LORD blesses those to whom he has given his righteousness. Dwell on that word, surely. It means without a doubt, beyond any contradiction. This is the way the LORD always operates.

By the way, also pause over the word LORD. It’s the Hebrew word, Yahweh. That's God's favorite name to describe himself as the grace-giver.

Surrounded with blessings

How will he surely bless those of us who are clothed in his righteousness? He will surround us. Read that again. Slowly. HE will surround us.

It's not an armed guard that surrounds us. It's not only angel warriors who surround us. It's Yahweh, the LORD, who surrounds us.

• The one who sent his son to earth to shield us from the punishment our sins demand.

• The one whose son was beaten, battered, and murdered on the cross so we would are now shielded, eternally protected.

• The one who is "the LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle" (Psalm 24:8).

We are surrounded. That's a good thing.