Rampart

Today, as I did my Bible study, I read a verse that I've read so many times before but I noticed something that hasn't ever really stood out to me. 

Psalm 91:4 says, "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."

I've always focused on the part of that verse that says, "He will cover you with His feathers." It amazes me really, to think that God, as big and powerful as He is, would be willing to bend down and cover us the way a swan covers her babies. It's such a beautifully gentle metaphor for our God.

I love the reminder that I can find refuge under His "wings." It sort of makes me think of big ol' grandpa arms wrapping up a little granddaughter in safety and love. She is sheltered, embraced, and unaware of whatever is happening outside of those arms.

Today my attention was drawn to the latter part of the verse. "His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." I'll be honest, as I read that today I wasn't sure I knew what rampart meant. So, I looked it up. A rampart is a defensive wall of a castle or walled city. It surrounds, fortifies, and protects.

We all know what a shield is; we can picture that pretty easily. A rampart, on the other hand, isn't something we see much nowadays. I looked for a picture to give my imagination some assistance and this is what I found.

Wow. God is surrounding us, protecting us, fortifying us. Just like that enormous, sturdy, enduring wall wraps around this property. Nothing can get through that wall and nothing can get through our God! Not by chance, anyway. His faithfulness, or trustworthiness, will be that wall of defense for us, protecting us with strength and boldness.

I'm just blown away by the imagery painted in this one small verse. On one hand, we have a mighty, powerful God choosing to bend down to cover and care for His children. He's like a gentle, loving swan giving us refuge and calming our fears. On the other hand, from the outside looking in, we see this same God and His faithfulness boldly defending us with unwavering stability.

Our God is the best of "both worlds." He is both gentle and tough. He is both inviting and protective. He is both a comforter and a defender. He covers us and loves us while He is protecting and defending us.

Today I am grateful for the many aspects of our God! I'm learning new things all the time and it just warms my heart so much to have this visual imagery to help me better understand the relationship He desires to have with me and with you. He isn't a mean judge watching impatiently from above to see when we'll screw things up. Instead, He is a gracious, gentle parent who will do whatever it takes to protect and defend the ones He loves.

Let that sink in.